The Arrangement I
by BritnehBee
Summary: VERSION DISCONTINUED! REVISED EDITION NOW UPLOADED! :D
1. Prologue

**Hey guys, I've already begun typing up the next chapter. :DD Also, I've got a little surprise stored up for you all (a short chaptered story, like maybe 3 or 4); I decided to try writing a lemon, so hopefully you all will like it once I've finished the entire thing. ^^**

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**Disclaimer**: All Non-OCs are not mine

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_The Arrangement_

-1-

The late afternoon drizzle gradually developed into heavy drops of rain as a small group of darkly clad people crowded around a freshly dug grave. Before them sat a dark wooden coffin topped with a small arrangement of red and white flowers. The pall bearers, all four dressed in full black suits, began to lower it inside its grave as the solemn priest closed the funeral ceremony with the benediction.

Apart from them stood a young fifteen year old girl, her silent tears mixing with the pouring rain as it came falling down, drenching her. As the crowd began to disperse, she neared the now buried coffin and stared vacantly down at the carved gravestone, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her black pants to read the following:

_Inès Viona Jiménez _

_1971-2006 _

_Devoted Mother, Beloved Daughter _

_R.I.P _

She made perfectly sure to train her eyes on the slab of stone sitting before her while members of her so-called extended "family" passed by; she ignored their cold stares and their harsh whispers.

"Is that…?"

"Oh yes, it's her alright. See the eyes?"

"Are you sure? She looks nothing like him…"

"Yes...well, I know she's the _woman's_ daughter." the first woman said with a sneer. "We'll know if she truly _is_ his soon enough."

The girl clenched her teeth tightly at their tittering and seethed silently as they passed, angrily setting her jaw.

*Ugly old hag...'_If_ I was his'…? So what if I wasn't...*

She blinked when a shadow suddenly fell over her, and she looked up slowly to see an umbrella protecting her from the pouring rain. Glancing abruptly to her left, she saw a woman who she hadn't noticed earlier, also wearing funeral apparel, standing close beside her. She blinked again in surprise when she noticed that she also held a very strong resemblance to her now departed mother; the shape of her eyes, the color of her skin...so similar to her own.

"...Hello." she said quietly, giving her a small kind smile.

She stared back at her in befuddlement, and the woman chuckled lightly at her expression.

"You are D'Leh, no?" she asked.

D'Leh turned her body slightly toward her and nodded her head yes, watching her warily. She was speaking to her in Spanish, her (and her mother's) first language. It was possible that she too was a native speaker, but who was she? Why was she here? She couldn't possibly be a blood relative of her father; none of his family members would even talk let alone stand by her, and they were all of Chinese descent…The woman's smile widened a fraction.

"You are wondering how I know your name."

D'Leh nodded again, crossing her arms. The woman gave her an indignant look, but her dark eyes sparkled with amusement.

"What grandmother doesn't know her own grandchild's name?"

Her eyes slowly widened, and she continued to stare, this time slack-jawed. *G…Grand…?*

That was impossible. Her paternal grandmother was the only grandmother she had ever known she had, and she was long dead. This woman…?

"I'm your mother's mother, my dear...My name is Consuelo." she explained as if reading her thoughts.

D'Leh looked her up and down. She didn't look old at all, barely past 40, and her skin (and her hair) looked healthy; she glowed with the appearance of youth.

"What's the matter, Child? Are you mute?" she asked, suddenly looking worried. "You haven't said a single word during our conversation…."

D'Leh looked quickly away from her and stared silently down at the tops of her wet black shoes, a lump forming in the back of her throat. Consuelo's eyes softened in understanding, and she moved to place her free hand on her shoulder. D'Leh, startled by the movement, jerked away from her and gave her a cold, distrusting look.

"Oh! I'm sorry; I suppose we aren't that well acquainted yet, hm?" she said with a gentle laugh.

D'Leh's expression lessened in its coldness and increased in confusion at her "grandmother's" behavior.

*…What a strange woman…Why is she being so…nice?* she thought, turning away once more.

" …Look Nieta, I'm very sorry about your loss, truly I am." she continued.

She glanced back at her, trying to doubt that claim but finding (surprisingly) that she couldn't.

"Your mother and I...we weren't on good terms ever since she married that father of yours." she told her quietly, looking down at the dripping gravestone. "I didn't know for sure if I even _was_ a grandmother until recently, when they told me Inès had passed, but I had suspected for years."

D'Leh turned back around to face her, and the woman gave her an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry I never came to visit you; I guess you could say that I was a little scared…Ha! Can you believe that? Scared to talk to my own daughter?" she asked, laughing again in that gentle way of hers.

D'Leh shrugged in reply. The woman smiled yet again.

"What's past is past, and I plan to make things right. Now, I know it must be hard to accept that your mother is gone, and I know your father's relatives don't think much of you; trust me, they gave your mother and me the exact same courtesy…"

D'Leh snorted unladylike in agreement. *Huh. You can say_ that_ again.* she thought bitterly.

Consuelo chuckled quietly before continuing.

"Yes, well... it is a shame when family act in such a way with each other. But, as I was saying, losing your mother has been a great tragedy for the both of us, and if you'd like to…I want you to come live with me." she said finally, watching her hopefully.

D'Leh was quite shocked by the proposal, and the effect was prolonged when she hesitantly took her right hand in her left.

"…You're all I have left of her D'Leh…" she whispered, suddenly distraught. "_Will_ you come live with me?"

D'Leh watched her evenly for some time and then she glanced down at their loosely clasped hands, debating within herself. This woman was a complete stranger to her, but then again so was her father. He hadn't been around for 9 years; if she _didn't_ go she'd end up staying with the man, who (at this very moment) was probably with some other woman many years younger than him…. Finally, she looked back up, gave her a small smile and slowly nodded her head "yes". Consuelo returned her smile with a wider one of her own, and she squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Come." she said, moving her arm around her and pulling her gently away. "Let's get out of this rain and get you home."

After giving the tombstone one last look, they turned completely away from it and left along with the others, and they began their long bus ride to her newly acquired home...

* * *

**Another little side note for any first time visitors: This is really just a prologue of sorts, and there will be 1 very long chapter before Sesshomaru actually comes into the picture (^^'), so if you're one of those people who prefer his appearance to be very early on? Sawwy! XD Just keep reading; It gets better :3 (Plus, any new reviewers will be greatly appreciated!). **


	2. Chapter one

-2-

_(Three __years __later)_

As the morning bell rang (signaling the beginning of school) D'Leh sat in the back of her first period class sketching a faint picture in one of her many art notebooks. She listened as her other classmates filed in, talking and laughing as they did. The quiet room finally swelled with their absent chatter about the upcoming dance, along with the excitement about summer break and graduation. The dance was much awaited for, being the last student social gathering of the year and just as important as prom. D'Leh never attended such dances; they just…weren't her thing. That, and she couldn't dance... She noticed that a pair of slim tanned legs had stopped right by her desk, and she glanced up regrettably to find Melantho Yanagi, self-proclaimed "It" girl of the school, sneering down at her.

*Ugh…wonderful. Just, wonderful…* she thought wearily. She was already feeling the beginnings of a migraine.

Melantho (older than her by a few months) hated her guts and the feeling was mutual. She was what every girl wanted to be: beautiful, bold, extremely wealthy, and sexually alluring. She had long midnight blue hair, dark blue eyes and perfect skin that looked naturally tanned. She was athletic and VERY popular with the boys (maybe...a little _too_ popular...). She knew exactly what she wanted, and got it for the most part, and her beauty equally matched her cruel and selfish ways. Behind her stood her two cronies, Yoko and Yuki (Melantho's doppelgangers, but one was too skinny and the other too plump). D'Leh sighed and quickly rolled her eyes as she glanced over at the two of them, then she returned immediately to her drawing.

"Hel-ooo DeeDee!" she chirped a little too kindly, flashing a perfect fake smile.

*God, not that stupid nickname...*

D'Leh would've liked _very_ much to tell her off (or preferably to bash her face in), but she knew better than to play her little mind games and instead focused intently on her drawing.

"You know," she continued, looking at her nails, untroubled by her silence, "the spring formal is coming up in a couple months…you have a date right? I mean, you _are_ going?"

D'Leh gave her a sidelong glance but said nothing.

"Hmm…guess not... Hey, Yuki," she said, turning to the skinny girl on her right, "Do _you_ have any idea why someone_wouldn't_ want to go with our dear, sweet DeeDee?"

"Nope." Yuki answered, giggling.

Yuki, if you couldn't tell already, was the air-headed twin. She laughed at just about everything and she had a mouth like a motor. Things just shot wayyy over her head; she could never tell when she was being insulted, something Melantho and Yoko (her so-called friends) did very often. Yoko, who stood at her left, leaned toward Melantho's ear.

"It's because she's a psychotic _freak_." she quietly whispered, but it was loud enough for D'Leh (and a few others) to hear.

The room suddenly got quiet; the pencil in D'Leh's hand immediately stilled and, slowly, she looked up at the three of them coldly. Yuki and Yoko's cruel smiles faltered under her death glare. Melantho just smirked, glad that her little ploy had worked, and she leaned toward her to whisper secretively in her ear.

"She _is_ right about that DeeDee" she told her silkily. "You were just…an accident you know? But don't blame your mother. I mean, ha, she _was_ a foreigner."

D'Leh clenched her hand into tight ball, so tightly in fact that the pencil snapped in two. She couldn't stand it anymore; the cracks, the insults, they were all too much. She punched out at her, and she was glad to feel her nose crunch a little beneath her fist. One of her cronies screamed, and the teacher (Mr. Tominaga) hurried inside to find them, well…her…viciously fighting. He managed to pull her off of her by taking a hold of her wrists, and he held her back with some difficulty while Melantho's friends helped her into a nearby chair. Then, still struggling, he turned to the student nearest to him.

"Notify the Dean. Now!"

The student rushed out of the door, and as Mr. Tominaga escorted her by the arm to the dean's office Melantho glared hatefully at her as she passed, holding a bloody napkin up to her busted nose. They came to Nitta's office in a matter of minutes, and they entered to find her waiting with an unhappy expression on her face.

"Thank you, Mr. Tominaga. You may leave."

D'Leh gave him no time to release her; she tugged her arm violently out of his grip and crossed her arms as she stared back at him menacingly. A little stunned, he nodded numbly and left, giving D'Leh a quick nervous glance before he did.

"Jiménez. Take a seat."

She glanced over at her slowly, and (sighing) finally did as she asked. She plopped down into one of the plump armchairs in front of her desk, crossing her arms a second time as she waited for yet _another_ lecture from Umori Senior High's oh-so-beloved Dean.

*…Wheee…* she thought dryly.

Nitta removed her glasses and heaved a heavy sigh as she rubbed her aching temples.

"D'Leh…" she tiredly began, "this is the third time this month you've been sent here for fighting: once for causing a fist fight in P.E., and another during lunch. _On__the__same__day_. _Now_I hear you've broken a fellow student's nose before your morning classes have even started?"

D'Leh stared at her unblinkingly, then she looked down to the floor. She tried to appear guilty, but they both new that was SO not the case.

*I didn't break it…* she quietly retorted back. Of course, it was in her mind. *I only cracked it….*

"Where next, D'Leh? Huh?"

She said nothing. It didn't seem wise...

"If you continue with this kind of behavior," she warned," I'm going to have to consider expulsion."

D'Leh's eyes glanced up at the mention of the word. Then she looked back down again, her face taut and emotionless. Nitta watched her with now saddened eyes, and she sighed a second time.

"D'Leh," she said gently," you're a good student, with good character; I'm sure you're going to make your grandmother very proud one of these days, but you need to learn how to better control your emotions. I know you; you tend to hold them in. A lot. Then, after some time… it's not healthy. Ok?"

D'Leh looked her squarely in the eye, her own eyes bland, and she nodded once stiffly, looking away.

"All right. Now, as punishment for this little mishap _you_ will be given after school detention today and all of next week. For now I'll put you in ISD until your lunch period. And don't worry; Melantho will be joining you." she reassured her, smiling.

*…Nice.*

Nitta handed her a pass (a red one) and she dismissed her with a wave of her hand. D'Leh grabbed it and left, closing the door noiselessly behind her.

*Poor girl.* she thought. *The wound still smarts, and after all this time…pity…."

She sighed sadly.

"Ahhgg…well, I guess it's time to make the phone call. This is _not_ going to be pleasant..."

She reached for the phone on top of her desk, and she dialed Consuelo's home phone number...

* * *

D'Leh sat slouched behind her desk, arms crossed and foot tapping up and down in impatience as the minute hand of the small round clock overhead inched ever so slowly toward the large eight. It had been nearly one hour since dismissal, and she knew her grandmother would be worried sick. That was something she did _not_ want to happen. She glanced over to her right and saw Melantho a few desks over, filing her nails in apparent boredom and displeasure. Before school had let out, she (and just about every single member of the entire student body, including faculty) listened in unbridled amusement as Melantho proceeded to bitch about her "unfair and discriminatory punishment" due to the fact that _she_ was the only victim.

She shook her head in amazement; people could be so self-centered. She was glad to see that her perfect, fake little nose (which had stopped bleeding by the way) was now a large red-stained pad covered with tape. A black-and-blue bruise was growing on her left eye, and her hair was a hot mess. D'Leh inwardly winced at how much pain she was in, and she began to feel a little (a _little_, now) sorry for her, but her pity was short-lived; she was entitled to take a little pride in doing a number on the school whore.

*She got what she deserved.* she thought lazily, looking away.

She glanced back up at the clock, and just as she did the timer rang on the ISD teacher's desk.

"Alright, miscreants." he said flatly. "Out."

D'Leh shot up out of her seat, more than ready to get out of there, and she pushed through the surprisingly loud and noisy hallway toward the school entrance. She hit the sidewalk quickly and ran the four blocks toward home. After some time she finally arrived at her grandmother's house, and she caught her breath before unlocking and entering the door.

After she closed it back quietly, she saw that her grandmother wasn't in the living room; she was safe…for now. The sound of water draining down the sink and the clanking of pots and pans soon told her that her grandmother was in the kitchen. She tiptoed stealthily over to the staircase, and just as she was going to sneak quietly up to her room her grandmother turned, knowing fully well she was there.

"D'Leh, Deana, Isabella, Jiménez. Ven aquí."

D'Leh winced. Whenever she said her whole name like that it meant she was in _deep_ trouble. She turned, groaning, and she walked reluctantly toward the kitchen. Her grandmother dried her hands on the dishtowel hanging over her shoulder and she watched her with stern eyes when she entered, crossing her arms.

"Why were you so late, Nieta?" she asked calmly.

D'Leh said nothing as she placed her book bag on one of the kitchen table chairs. She grabbed a soda from the fridge before sitting down across from her and she glanced up once, this time looking genuinely guilty as she traced the top of the soda can with her finger. They were silent for a few moments, and the only sound that could be heard was the ticking of the living room clock.

"…I know about the fight D'Leh." she finally told her.

*…Damn…*

"The dean phoned me a few hours ago, and she told me _everything_." she muttered quietly. Then, she sighed. "D'Leh, we're not going to go on like this—those empty looks you give me, your silences…not to mention these squabbles at your school. It's wearing us both down."

There was that tugging feeling in her throat again. She had often told herself to speak, many a time, but the words just hung frozen, like icicles, inside her. Loneliness, hurt, and anger, one heaped on top of the other, kept her silent.

"…That's why I've decided you need to go get some therapy."

D'Leh looked up sharply from the can, shocked and somewhat angry that _she_ had decided that _she_ needed therapy. She wasn't crazy…. She cooled down, however, when she caught the heavily worried look in her grandmother's weary eyes, and she reluctantly nodded her head in feigned agreement. Consuelo smiled in relief, and she kissed her forehead in thanks before moving back to the stove to start dinner.

"Go ahead and do your homework D'Leh. Dinner will be ready soon."

D'Leh took her soda and her book bag from the kitchen table before she went up the stairs. When she entered her room, she found it in its usual state of being…not _entirely_ messy, but it wasn't entirely clean either. At her left, her desk was a jumble of books, notebooks, stray papers and pencils. The wall behind it was covered with the various sketches and drawings she had pinned there, and on the adjacent wall there were a few professional paintings, ones drawn by her mother before she became ill and died. Her bed, thankfully, was made but her closet was an absolute mess; it was a sight not even the _world_ was ready for….

*Huh…* she mused, looking around as she let her bag slide off her shoulder. *I _really_ need to clean this room…*

With a small sigh, D'Leh moved over to her bed, though not before kissing a recent poster-sized photo of her mother she had taped to her wall.

*Hi Mamá…* she thought, giving it a sad smile.

She laid herself down on her back, and she pulled out an old necklace from under her shirt. She scrutinized its small familiar stone, and for the millionth time ran her finger over its smooth and surprisingly soft surface. It wasn't much of anything really; it was just a blue rock hanging from a dingy silver chain. Quite worthless actually. The necklace, though, was her mother's, and before that her grandmother's. Consuelo had told her that her mother had gotten it on her 12th birthday, and even though she herself was far past that age it was now hers. It had sentimental value, and it was her most cherished memento; she had vowed to treasure it, always.

She looked up at her ceiling, painted herself like the night sky. She suddenly smiled, remembering the time when she and her mother watched a meteor shower together many years ago. It had been late in the evening when her mother, finishing a painting she was working on, looked out of the kitchen window to see these beautiful tails of light showering down. D'Leh chuckled quietly, thinking how wide her eyes must've been when she had seen them.

*You're up there somewhere…aren't you?* she thought, glancing out her bedroom window. *I'm sure of it…*

She yawned widely and rolled onto her side.

*Send me a message one of these days* she thought drowsily, pillowing her head on her arm *…Heh. Might bring me some good luck for once…*

Then, she drifted into a sweet sleep.

* * *

A couple hours later, Consuelo climbed up the stairs toward D'Leh's room to tell her that their dinner was ready. But, when she opened her door she peeked inside to find her sleeping peacefully. She smiled and gently closed her door before going back downstairs to the kitchen. While she was setting the table for one, the phone suddenly rang in the living room and she hurried to go answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hello!" a young woman's voice brightly answered. "Is this the Jiménez residence?"

"Yes, yes it is. Can I help you?"

"Oh! Yes, sorry I'm Momiji Fujita and I work for Children's Services. We have a little girl here—she's three; _so_ adorable—who's been put up for adoption." she said happily.

"I'm sorry," Consuelo told her, confused. "But what—?"

"Oh! Sorry, sorry." The young woman apologized, laughing at herself. "Well, you see, the child's mother unfortunately died a few months ago. We tried to contact other relatives, a grandfather actually—it was obvious the child's father would do nothing to help—but he wouldn't even answer our calls or any messages we sent him. We've recently discovered that the mother's half-sister lives here locally, with you. We'd like to place her in the half-sister's custody rather than some foster home."

"Oh…I-I see." Consuelo murmured, shocked at this new discovery though not very surprised.

This half-sister was probably one of her Ex-Son-in-Law's older children, and it didn't shock her at all that he wouldn't answer them. She shook her head in disgust.

"Well, I can't really make this decision for her. She's old enough to make up her own mind, but I will surely tell her about this."

"Ok then. Thank you for your time, bye-bye!" the woman said cheerfully.

"Goodbye…."

Consuelo hung up the phone, and then she sat down slowly on the sofa, still shocked at the news.

*…I have a great-granddaughter….* she thought, stunned. *Well…indirectly, but still.*

She glanced up the stairs, wondering whether she should tell her granddaughter. Then she shook her head.

*I'll tell her tomorrow….It'll be better that way, and much better timing. I should go there tomorrow morning and find out some more information...*

With a loud sigh she stood and went back to the kitchen, the thought of an additional family member heavy on her mind.


	3. Chapter Two

-3-

The following morning, D'Leh awoke to feel the sun shining brightly into her room. She groggily cracked open an eye, and she looked over at her dresser to see the time: 7:50 A.M. She sat up slowly and stretched, and it took her a few minutes to realize that she was still in her school clothes. She pulled out some clean ones from her closet (an old pair of dark jeans and a black shirt with long sleeves) before going into the bathroom. She stripped and showered quickly, and as soon as she changed she ran downstairs, combing through her tangled wet hair with her fingers. When she got there, however, she didn't see her grandmother anywhere. She wasn't in the living room (which was obvious) or in the kitchen. She even checked the half-bathroom down the hall.

*Where _is_ she?* she wondered, scratching her head. *Hm...maybe she went shopping...?*

Whatever the reason was, she just shrugged and headed back toward the kitchen to find some food.

* * *

With a dazed look in her eyes, Consuelo exited the adoption agency holding a large envelope full of paperwork. She wanted to bring them just in case D'Leh decided to adopt the little girl, and she secretly hoped that she would. But, as she had told the woman on the phone last night, it was D'Leh's choice, not hers. Before she left, she was asked to return the paperwork within the following week, but she was confident her granddaughter's mind would be made up by then. She walked up the street to the end of the block, and after a ten minute wait at the bus stop she boarded the Route 13 and was on her way home.

When she arrived home she opened the door to find D'Leh showered and dressed, watching TV while eating a tub of yogurt on the couch. Her granddaughter turned her head when she heard the front door open, and she gave her a small smile in greeting. Consuelo smiled back as she placed the stuffed envelope into her purse.

"Good morning Nieta." she said. "Are you ready to make an appointment?"

D'Leh nodded, and she turned off the TV before walking back into the kitchen, scraping the bottom of the now empty yogurt carton. Consuelo patiently waited for her over by the door, contemplating how on earth she was going to tell her about her newly discovered niece but D'Leh had already walked out of the kitchen by then, grabbing her gray hoody as she passed by the sofa.

"¿Lista?"

D'Leh nodded, putting it on.

"Bien. Vamos."

They went up the street to the nearby bus stop and they boarded the Route 11, taking two seats that faced forward. After they had passed a few blocks, Consuelo decided that now was the time to tell her the news. She hesitantly placed a hand on her shoulder and shook it gently to get her attention.

"D'Leh?"

She turned her head to face her.

"…Your father—"she began.

She turned abruptly away to stare vacantly out the window. Consuelo sighed. D'Leh always got this way when her father was ever mentioned. She didn't really blame her, but it frightened her sometimes to see such an amount of…hate and anger in such a young woman's eyes.

"D'Leh." she said softly. "I know your father hurt you…and your mother…"

At _that_ D'Leh snorted.

*He might've hurt my mother, but he didn't hurt me. I hate him…* she thought fiercely, brushing him off. *Only the ones you love can ever hurt you...*

"But, there is something you must understand. Your father…I don't know if he was married before he met your mother or not, but you have a half-sister. Had…."

D'Leh looked back at her in slight confusion with knitted eyebrows. The fact that she may have had a half-sibling (or more) was a bit surprising, but what did she have to understand? That her father was a two-timing gigolo who wanted to "sow his royal oats"?

"D'Leh…your half-sister had a baby, a little girl. She's three and, and she's been put up for adoption by the local agency…." her grandmother trailed off.

D'Leh's eyes slowly widened, realizing what this meant.

*Holy Mother of God! I have a niece!*

Consuelo patted her tenderly on the shoulder, her eyes betraying laughter at her expression.

"They want the papers by the end of next week. It's your choice D'Leh. All yours."

She nodded numbly, too stunned to do anything else, and she pulled at the string of wire hanging across their window when they neared the stop at St. Moriah's General Hospital.

* * *

Sesshomaru sat back in his desk chair with one leg over the other, his foot waving up and down with impatience as he listened to a flustered young doctor and the overly haughty mother of his now dead patient argue in obvious displeasure. The patient, discovered to be a diabetic, was rushed in from a lack of insulin in his blood. The young doctor, however, accidently gave him what appeared to be too much causing his hypoglycemia and (unfortunately) the patient's death. Sesshomaru closed his eyes with an inaudible sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache.

"…Silence." he ordered.

Both glanced at him sharply, this having been the first word he had told them since they entered his office.

"Madam, Dr. Tamaki _did_ misdiagnose and inadvertently caused the patient's death." Sesshomaru told them tiredly.

The overdressed woman looked smugly over at the doctor.

"But, _you_ failed to mention that your son was an addict with type one diabetes; how he managed to even stay alive in that situation is beyond me…"

"Thank you!" the doctor said, giving the woman a hard look.

Her look of triumph was wiped clean off of her heavily painted face, and she jumped quickly to her feet.

"B-but…but—!"

"The hospital will pay compensation," he continued, ignoring her. "But you will not be able to sue, as you threatened, when _you_ decided to withhold important information. Now get out, the both of you."

"S-such insolence!" the woman angrily screeched.

Sesshomaru tried not to wince at the grating sound.

"How _dare_ you blame me for my son's—"

"Leave." Sesshomaru told her, interrupting a second time. "Take it up with your lawyer if you want, but I'd advise against it."

The woman huffed and stomped out of his office in a rage, muttering obscenities while the young doctor simply bowed in thanks and left him in peace. Sesshomaru sighed wearily when the double doors of his office finally closed, and he linked his fingers behind his head as he leaned back in his chair, looking up at the bare white ceiling. He began to wonder why he had even thought of taking this job. The long hours he spent working here (and at his law firm) often grew tiresome, and…a bit lonely. He did, however, have his daughter Rin to spend time with. But, even though he cared for her deeply he still felt an inner emptiness that could not be filled, not since his last break up many many years ago…Thinking back on his Ex made a growl of displeasure slip from his lips.

*There's no need for me to think about that woman…* he thought sourly. *It's a good thing I got rid of her anyway…*

He glanced over idly when he heard the front doors of the hospital swish open with his keen ears, and through the glass doors of his office he spotted a middle-aged woman, a foreigner by the looks of her complexion and wavy dark hair, who entered with who appeared to be her daughter following close behind her.

The girl, most likely in her late teens, was dressed rather raggedly in his opinion. She wore baggy clothes, hardly doing anything for her young figure and her face had that layered look, just like so many other people who checked into the hospital. Her hair, like her mother's, looked freshly washed and was braided into a thick rope. It hung down past her lower back, and her skin was the color of tea with milk; a kind of light creamy beige. Her eyes, though, were her greatest feature. They were quite an alluring color, an icy-silver blue, but her mother's eyes were a dark almond-brown. He sat up slowly, watching as they approached the front desk, and the girl stopped to sit (well, to be more correct, slouched) in one of the lobby's many chairs.

"Hmmm…"

Sesshomaru glanced abruptly down at his wrist when his watch began beeping loudly.

*3:45…lunch break.*

He stood and grabbed his long dark overcoat from off of his chair, then he left his office and walked toward the front entrance.

* * *

While her grandmother went up to the front desk, D'Leh took a look around as she sat in one of the lobby's comfortable chairs. She spotted doctors bustling along with far more experienced nurses scurrying at their heels. She also spotted interns fresh out of Med school following and sucking up to their assigned residents, the latter doing the same to their own superiors, bringing them coffee and the like. She scoffed and looked away in disgust, but a sudden flash of silver soon caught her eye. She looked back to see a man in his mid twenties or so walking briskly away, one hand in the pocket of his long dark coat as he neared the hospital entrance.

He was very tall, about six feet, and she had to admit that he walked gracefully (for a guy…). The silver that had caught her attention had been his long hair, reaching to the back of his knees. She could tell right off he was Youkai, but what kind she was unsure. However, his golden eyes and pointed ears, as well as the magenta stripes across his cheeks and the blue crescent on his forehead made the fact that he _was_ one quite apparent. He glanced over suddenly, meeting her eyes. She blinked before looking away, feeling a little warm. She could still feel him watching her (though only for a few seconds) and she shifted in her seat, uncomfortable. After a minute or two she looked back and watched him leave.

*…Who was that?*

"D'Leh!"

She turned around to see her grandmother approaching her excitedly.

"You're all set Nieta." she happily told her. "You start seeing the psychiatrist week after next, every Monday and Friday after school. The nurse told me the session is an hour long, so you'll make it back home in time to finish your school work."

D'Leh looked down and took a moment to take in the information, then she gave her a questioning look.

"The doctor's name is Takashi. They didn't tell me the gender, but they say he is quite skilled." she told her, smiling. "Now, come, come. It's about time we finished the rest of our errands."

D'Leh stood, and together they exited the hospital. They walked to the nearby store and purchased some groceries, then they went to the post office to check for any packages. After paying the various bills (utility, light, rent), they boarded the Route 11 for the second time that day and rode home. On the way back Consuelo glanced at her granddaughter who was staring down at the shopping bags between her legs with a cumbersome look. She elbowed her playfully, getting her attention.

"So, Nieta," she prodded. "Have you decided what you're going to do about the child?"

D'Leh looked back down at the groceries in her hand, a look of thoughtful concern written all over her face. She knew it was a huge responsibility to take a kid under your wing, and it was very hard work...Perhaps a foster home _would_ be better... But, she _was_ the girl's closest relative, locally and hereditarily, well…other than her father, and it was clear what his position was on the subject. She looked back at her grandmother who was looking at her rather hopefully. Finally, she nodded deciding that she _would_ adopt, but she was doubtful she was right for the job.

"You'll do fine. Don't worry. Besides, I'll be here." she reassured her.

D'Leh shrugged, looking back down. Her grandmother smiled and placed an arm comfortingly around her as they rode the last few blocks home.


	4. Chapter Three

-4-

_(About a __week __later__…__)_

D'Leh stared up at the clock in her sixth period class forlornly. Having spent the past week in ISD, she was still a little bummed about taking therapy. Now, on top of all of _that_, she had to deal with meeting her niece after "happy time" with her shrink, whom they had spent a lot of time and money at the store buying clothes and other items for. She laid her head down, the thought of taking care of a three year old suddenly making her weary.

*Why, why, why…* she thought, pounding her forehead softly on her desk with each word. * -sigh- This is _so_ unf—*

The bell finally sounded. She groaned quietly before reaching over for her backpack and walking out of the emptying classroom slowly. Instead of taking her usual route home D'Leh went in the opposite direction; a couple blocks and a few hazardous streets later, she finally arrived at St. Moriah's. She entered and walked toward the front desk, and after the nurse gave her directions she moved toward Dr. Takashi's office located in the psychiatric ward.

When she approached the office she stared blankly at the door for some time, unsure about going inside. She hardly knew this doctor; would he truly understand her predicament? Or, would he criticize her about it (like so many others she knew did)? She heard someone coming up behind her, and she turned to see a young woman in her early to mid twenties walking briskly up the hallway. At first glance she was the average beauty, but of course it was just a first glance. She had long black hair that stopped just below her shoulders, and beneath her long white coat she wore a modest light blue buttoned-up shirt, a pair of dark brown slacks and matching pumps. She looked up from a chart she was carrying, and she smiled brightly when she spotted her.

"Oh, hello!" she cheerfully greeted her, shaking her hand vigorously. "I'm Dr. Takashi, but you can just call me Kagome. Are you my new patient?"

D'Leh nodded, a little shocked to find that her doctor was actually a woman, and she stepped aside to let her open the door. When they entered her office D'Leh was shocked yet again to find it open and sunny with a hint of incense in the air. It seemed…homey, and the atmosphere felt very nice and carefree; weren't they supposed to be drab and gloomy?

"Please, take a seat." Kagome told her, closing the door.

She looked around and decided to sit on a sofa by the large window while Kagome sat on a quilted armchair across from her.

"Ok. So…" she began, smiling. Again. "For our first exercise we're just going to exchange information about ourselves, ok? Uhm…what's your full name?"

D'Leh made it obvious that she wasn't ready to talk, and she stared pointedly out of the window.

"…How old are you?" she asked. "Which school do you attend?"

D'Leh, however, was still silent, and she fiddled with the sleeves of her hooded jacket. She knew it was important for her to try and say _something_ (if not for her own benefit, then for her grandmother's), but she just couldn't. Kagome sighed and removed her glasses.

"Look." she said. "I know I'm just a stranger to you; I understand that. People don't usually open up to them, but in order for this treatment to work you must communicate with me... Please?"

D'Leh stared at her for a few moments, then she looked away from her, thoughtful. Kagome watched her with a degree of sadness and disappointment. What her grandmother had told her was very true. She just…wouldn't speak. Kagome sighed again as she closed her patient's log and was just about to get up, but a small hoarse whisper soon stopped her.

"Hm? I'm sorry?"

"D'Leh." she whispered a bit louder. "…My name. It's D'Leh."

Kagome smiled.

"That's quite a name." she complimented her, settling back down.

D'Leh laughed once shyly.

"Y-yeah, it's a, a pretty old name." she murmured, scratching the side of her head as she looked off to the side. "My mother was very interested in names and their meaning; she told me it meant 'Silent Strength', ironically."

"Ah. I see." Kagome said, chuckling. "I like it, it's very unique."

"U-uh…thanks…"

"Ok, now it's your turn to ask me a question." she said, smiling.

"...Ask what?"

"Anything. Don't worry, what we say here will never be repeated."

"Uhm…How old are you?"

"I am 25. I'm gonna guess you're…17?"

D'Leh gave her a small smile.

"18."

"Eh, I was close." Kagome told her, waving it off.

For the rest of the session D'Leh learned much about her new doctor, and by the time they were done her voice was starting to get back to normal. Kagome, she soon found out, was happily married to an Inu Hanyou named Inuyasha, and she was the mother of five year old twins: Natsu (the boy) and Satsu (the girl). She also learned about her miko heritage, dating back since the feudal era of this country, as well as her husband's insatiable love for ramen. Just as she was in the middle of discussing her dream vacation, Kagome's watch began beeping and she looked down at it with a small pout.

"Awwww. Time's up." she told her, looking up. "Oh well. We'll finish up later this week, 'kay?"

D'Leh nodded and gathered her things while Kagome opened the door for her. Just as she was a few steps down the hall, Kagome suddenly called out to her.

"Oh! D'Leh!"

She turned back to face her.

"Try to find a hobby or something to keep yourself busy. And bring me one of your drawings! I'd really like to see one!"

D'Leh smiled and turned murmuring to herself, knowing fully well that she _would_ be busy with the arrival of her niece later on, and she walked towards the hospital entrance. As she was exiting the building she was brushed on her left shoulder, and she glanced up to see a pair of familiar golden eyes staring calmly down at her. She looked down quickly in embarrassment, mumbling an apology, and she gave him one furtive glance before hurrying to the bus stop. Sesshomaru watched her as she walked, or more correctly ran, away from him. He couldn't help relishing the sound of her accented voice, then (appalled at the sudden thought) he turned abruptly and stepped through the automatic doors to finish yet another hard day of work.

* * *

When she finally got home, D'Leh threw her bag onto the living room couch and made a beeline for the fridge. However, just as she was about to open it she spotted a note from her grandmother on top of the refrigerator door.

_The __day __is __finally __here, __Nieta! __If __you __see __this __(which __I __know __you __will), __I __want _

_ you __to __meet __me __at __the __agency __by __5:00 __PM, __¿entendido? __It's __only __about __four __blocks _

_up __the street. __Hasta __luego, __y __venga __rápidamente!_

*5:00?*

She glanced idly over at the time on the microwave, and she did a double take: 4:53…. She groaned.

*7 minutes? Oy…*

Deciding not to bother with waiting for the bus again she hurried outside, locking the door behind her, and she ran as fast as her feet could carry her, racing against the clock. When she finally reached the agency D'Leh stopped and leaned onto her knees to catch her breath. She was exhausted and a little sweaty, and she was grateful to have a few moments to collect herself.

*_About_ four blocks?* she thought incredulously, panting heavily. *Ch. Four blocks my fat ass…God, I really need to get me a car…*

After standing there, evening her breathing for a few minutes, she entered the small building to find her grandmother standing at the front desk chatting away with the receptionist. She stood a few feet behind her, within hearing distance, and she cleared her throat loudly before calling out to her.

"…Abuelita?" she said quietly.

Consuelo didn't hear her.

"Abuelita." she said again, a little bit louder.

Her grandmother immediately stopped talking, and she turned to stare at her, wide-eyed. D'Leh rolled her eyes in mock annoyance, and she smiled slightly as she gave her a "don't-act-so-surprised" look. Consuelo turned back to the receptionist to excuse herself, then she hurried toward her. She looked at her with questioning eyes, but D'Leh just shrugged a shoulder. Her grandmother smiled and squeezed her arms.

"Mrs. Jiménez?"

Both of them turned to see a young red-haired woman in a dark pantsuit looking at them expectantly.

"Yes?"

"Follow me please."

Both shared a quick look, then they followed her toward the back of the building. She led them down a carpeted hallway, and after passing a few doors she suddenly stopped and opened one into a children's playroom. It had the essentials: a varying array of toys, shelves of picture books and a small TV. It was clean enough, but that was to be expected. Who ever heard of a tidy playroom?

"I'll need one of you to meet the child here." she stated, looking between them. "The other will help me finish up the paperwork."

"Uhm—"

"D'Leh will stay here." Consuelo interrupted her. "I will help with the paperwork. I'm her grandmother."

D'Leh began to protest, but her grandmother gave her a stern look before leaving, and she was left all alone in the little playroom. She pulled off her jacket, suddenly feeling very hot, and she began to pace back and forth, nervous about meeting her niece.

*Niece…*

Just thinking the word made her feverish. She wasn't aunt material! It wasn't that she was _bad_ with children; they were fine with her. She just never…talked to one. She didn't know how really; it was just weird...What was she going to be like? What did she even _look_ like? Would she mind living with an "emotionally unbalanced" girl and her young-looking grandmother? D'Leh waved that thought aside. She was simply over-complicating things, but she couldn't help ignoring the feeling of anxiety and worry crawling around in her belly.

*I just need to calm down...just calm...down—"

The door to the playroom suddenly opened, and she turned to see an elderly woman enter with a little girl, who was holding onto her hand, trailing just behind her.

"Ms. Velez?"

D'Leh nodded, deciding not to correct her, and she looked down at the young child hiding behind her leg. She was pretty cute. Actually, she was really cute. Her head reached just above the woman's knees, so she was approximately three or four feet. She had dark black hair, straight and cut short, but it was long enough to be tied back (which it was) into two tiny pig-tails down at her neck, and her eyes, which watched her shyly, were a dark blue. Her skin was fair, unlike hers, and the apples of her cheeks were tinged a very light pink. The woman smiled and glanced down at the little girl clutching her leg tightly.

"Say hello sweetie."

The little girl tightened her hold on her leg and she hid her face behind it, shaking her head no. The woman laughed as she pulled her out from behind her and pushed her forward.

"Don't be so shy, Love." she told her gently. Then she looked up at D'Leh. "I'll give you two some time to get to know one another."

D'Leh nodded, and when she left her eyes locked onto the little girl. They were quiet for some time in an awkward silence, the little girl watching her, a little frightened, and her avoiding her eyes and pulling at her fingers as she took in the multi-colored room they were standing in. She eventually sat down on the colorful rug, Indian-style, and she patted the spot beside her. The child moved hesitantly closer, staring at her, and D'Leh smiled nervously.

"Hello."

"…Hello." she whispered back shyly.

"…Do you know who I am?" she asked.

The little girl nodded.

"Ms. Yui says you're my Aunty."

D'Leh smiled. She liked being called that. "Aunty"….

"Come. Sit beside me."

She did as she asked, and she plopped down next to her, putting her small hands face down under her knees.

"What is your name, Sobrina?"

She scrunched up her nose cutely.

"Soh-bree-nah?" she said, sounding out the strange word. "That's not my name. My name is Ai."

D'Leh laughed.

"'Sobrina' means niece in Spanish." she explained. "It's a title, not a name."

"Ohhhhh…." she said, understanding. "Well, what's yours?"

D'Leh raised an eyebrow.

"Name or title?"

Ai looked thoughtful for a minute.

"Both." she said finally.

"Ok." she said, smiling. "My title is 'Tía' which means 'Aunt' in Spanish, and my name is D'Leh."

"'D'Leh'? That sounds like a boy's name."

She rolled her eyes.

"It's like Dylan or…or Taylor. It can go for both girls and boys."

Ai suddenly giggled. D'Leh began to get a little peeved.

"What?"

"Your voice sounds funny." she told her, pointing at her as she continued giggling. "You say Dee-lan when it's Dill-len, heehee."

"Oh, so now you're a language pronunciation expert? Ch. You're only three Chivo."

"Three and a_half_." she countered.

"Three."

"Three and a half!"

"...Three."

"Three and a half!" she said loudly, stomping her foot.

D'Leh held up her hands defensively and tried to look innocent as she held back a laugh.

"Alright, alright. You win."

At that very moment Consuelo had opened the door and peeked inside, smiling as she found them playfully arguing. She entered, getting their attention.

"Everything is ready." she told them happily. "We can go home now."

"Home?" Ai asked. "…Are you adopting me?"

"Yes Child." Consuelo told her, smiling down at her. "Would you like to come home with us?"

Ai nodded silently, suddenly shy again. Consuelo took her hand in her own and they left, the both of them chatting about the room they'd have to share (and other gifts), and they said farewell to the receptionist on their way out.


	5. Chapter Four

-5-

Kagome sat comfortably behind her desk, sipping a cup of hot herbal tea as she looked over her notes on D'Leh's progress. It had been nearly three weeks since the day she had entered her office, and she was glad to see that she had opened up to her a little bit about a few things, including some of her not so peachy past. She had recently told her about the arrival of her young niece, Ai, and she admitted that it motivated her to try and make the therapy work, something that she was very pleased to hear.

Kagome was also happy to see that she had a hobby she was very skilled at: painting and drawing, mainly different types of landscapes and backgrounds. One of her masterpieces was hanging on the adjacent wall, one Kagome had really liked and received as a gift. It was a picture of a small village surrounded by forest pines and oak trees, a light blue sky hovering above it. It reminded her of her old mentor's stories of her life growing up in a small village, and she smiled thinking about her.

She suddenly frowned when she realized D'Leh didn't go out and enjoy herself like other teens her age. Her frown deepened at another thought: D'Leh had no friends of her own. She was a loner… Kagome sighed, wondering what to do when she glanced over and spotted an envelope full of all day passes to the local aquarium, a present from her mother for the kids. She picked it up and stared at it for a few minutes, then a smile started to form on her lips as she reached for the phone and dialed D'Leh's number.

* * *

D'Leh watched in silent frustration as Ai, somehow hyper on graham crackers and apple juice, ran all over the living room, giggling madly. She had tried to catch her a million times before, but none of her tactics didn't seem to work; she was small enough to bend and weave around the furniture easily, and her energy far surpassed hers so she just gave up. D'Leh sighed, puffing at the tendrils of hair hanging in her face, wondering what she had gotten herself into by taking in this little three year old, then she let out a small yelp when Ai suddenly glomped her by the legs with a squeal, and they both fell down with a loud thud.

"Enjoying ourselves are we?" Consuelo asked, calling from the kitchen.

"Uh-huh!" Ai called back.

D'Leh rolled her eyes, hiding a smile as her grandmother walked toward them, drying off her hands.

"Come. Dinner is ready." she told them, smiling.

Ai threw up her arms and cheered as she jumped up from the floor, then she zipped into the kitchen like a small bullet. Consuelo laughed and shook her head as she followed in behind her. D'Leh too got up and she started in after them, but she stopped when the phone suddenly rang and she went to go answer it.

"Alló?"

"D'Leh?" Kagome's voice asked.

"Yes?"

"Oh! Hi! Sorry, you sound so different on the phone." she said, laughing. "I'm not disturbing you guys, am I?"

"No, no. we were, uh, 'correcting' a little situation."

"Ai?"

She could hear the smile in Kagome's voice.

"Ai."

Kagome laughed.

"Well I called to see if you'd like to join me and my family on a little outing this Saturday."

D'Leh was speechless for a few seconds.

"…Uh, yeah, I-I'd love to go." she whispered, shocked that Kagome would ask _her_ of all people to go with her.

"Wonderful!" Kagome said excitedly. "I'll call you tomorrow when we're about to leave; we'll come and pick you up."

"Ok…you won't mind if I bring Ai with me, will you?" she asked.

"Course not. I'd love to meet her." Kagome said happily. "See you tomorrow morning, bye!"

"Good bye."

She hung up the phone and entered the kitchen to find her grandmother filling three bowls with warm chili while Ai hummed happily to herself as she sat at the table, kicking her legs back and forth.

"Who was on the phone Nieta?" she asked, placing the pot back onto the warm stove.

"Kagome." D'Leh said, taking a seat at the table.

"Kagome?" Her grandmother looked worried. "Is something wrong?"

"No Abuelita. She just called to ask me if I wanted to go out with her and her family."

"Oh! Well that's good. You need to go out more D'Leh. You spend way too much time cooped up at home."

"I prefer being at home…" she muttered, earning a look from her grandmother.

"D'Leh?" Ai asked, pulling her sleeve.

"Yes Chivo?"

"...Can I come with you and you's fwend?"

D'Leh smiled.

"Uh-huh."

"Yay!" Ai cheered, clapping her hands excitedly. "Where we going? Are we gonna go to the park? I like the park. Are we going there? Maybe they likes kickball."

Consuelo laughed.

"Eat your food Niña. You'll know soon enough."

"Ok…" Ai said subjectively, but all throughout dinner she couldn't help asking just a _few_ more questions…

Later that night, as D'Leh lay wide awake in her bed, thoughts of that strange Youkai kept invading her mind. She had seen him fleetingly during the past few weeks, cooped up in his office, probably signing paperwork and the like. He kept to himself a lot, but he didn't really seem to mind. She couldn't understand him. He looked like the kind of man who could have any woman he wanted, and many of the female doctors and nurses (and some male) would've happily obliged him, but he chose to completely ignore them…. Why would he do that? She yawned, suddenly feeling tired.

*Eh. It's none of my business what he chooses to do with himself…* she thought sleepily.

She glanced over at her mother's enlarged photo and she smiled.

*…Good night Mamá. I love you…*

She closed her eyes, and she fell fast asleep.

* * *

As she was signing out at the front desk, Kagome glanced over to see Sesshomaru getting ready to leave also. She watched him thoughtfully for a while, and, after saying good bye to the nurse, she went over to his office. Sesshomaru looked up when she entered, and he gave her a small nod in greeting before returning to packing his belongings.

"Hello Sesshomaru." she said, closing the door behind her.

"Good Evening."

They were silent for a few moments.

"…Uhm, Sesshomaru?"

He turned back to look at her, pausing as he was about to put some of his numerous papers into his briefcase.

"I was wondering…would you like to come with us and the kids to the new aquarium Saturday?"

"Absolutely not." he said curtly, turning back around.

"But—"

"You _do_ remember what happened last time I and that husband of yours were in the same room together?"

"Uhhhhhh…"

Actually, Kagome _did_ remember. She had invited him to dinner a few months ago, and to make a long story short things (and fists) went flying, including her favorite flowered vase.

"Well…wouldn't Rin like to go?" she asked hopefully.

At that Sesshomaru paused a second time and turned a little toward her, eyes unreadable, but then he turned and abruptly snapped his briefcase closed before answering.

"She might enjoy coming with us...All of us."

"…I'll think about." he said after some time.

Kagome smiled.

"Ok. Good bye Sesshomaru." she said, then she exited his office.

He watched her leave with a blank look, then (grabbing his coat and briefcase) he too left, locking the office door behind him.

* * *

Early the following morning, D'Leh's bedroom door creaked quietly open as a certain little girl (name unknown) snuck up to her bed, trying not to wake her. Not _yet_ anyway. As she lay there, sleeping peacefully, D'Leh felt a pair of small hands pulling at her clothes. She murmured something unintelligible, and she smacked one of Ai's hands lightly away while turning over. D'Leh, however, was soon rudely awakened from her deep, sweet sleep when Ai scrambled up onto her bed and proceeded to jump up and down like a crazed, feral maniac.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UP!" Ai shrieked happily.

"Okay! Alright, already!" D'Leh yelled groggily, sitting up. "I'm up, I'm up!"

Ai giggled gleefully as she stopped bouncing, and she plopped down beside her on the bed. D'Leh looked at her crossly, a little annoyed but not really blaming her for being so excited, then she glanced at the clock, half awake: 6:30 A.M. She hung her head and groaned.

*Too…early…need…sleep…*

Just as she was about to reach for her pillow, she was brought back to consciousness when (after she jumped down from the bed) Ai tugged and pulled stubbornly at her arm.

"Come onnnnnn!" Ai whined impatiently. "We get ready now."

D'Leh sighed in defeat, and she pulled off her covers as Ai bounced excitedly before her.

She got Ai ready first. While she was taking a bath, D'Leh picked out some clothes for her: a white Hello Kitty T-shirt, a little short-legged jumpsuit, and a pair of white sneakers which were fairly new. After she helped her into her clothes, she gave her her shoes and she told her to wait downstairs while she got herself ready. She took a quick shower and she brushed her teeth, then she moved toward her closet and pulled out a pair of knee-length khaki cargoes, some thick black leggings that stopped just below her knees, a dark red long-sleeved Ecko Unlimited shirt and as well as a pair of old black sneakers (her favorites). She braided her hair, not bothering to dry or even comb it as she went down the stairs, and she got to the first floor to find Ai on the living room couch watching Tom & Jerry.

"Ai?" she asked. "You hungry?"

Ai turned and nodded enthusiastically. D'Leh smiled and went into the kitchen, and when she came back to the couch she returned with a bowl of warm cereal for her niece and a banana for herself. They ate together in silence for a few moments, watching TV. Ai giggled occasionally as they watched Tom the cat and Jerry the mouse whack one another with mallets and other objects, then she turned to look at her questioningly.

"D'Leh?"

"Yes?"

"Where we going?"

She had been asking her that question all night, right up to the point where she couldn't keep her little eyes open. D'Leh smiled.

"It's a surprise Chivo." she whispered.

"Can't you tell me now?" she begged. "Pleeeeaaassse?"

"Noooo—"

The phone suddenly rang. D'Leh reached over the arm of the couch and answered it.

"Hello?"

"D'Leh! Hey It's me, Kagome. We're on our way out."

"Ok. We're all ready. When do you want us outside?"

"Oh, don't worry we'll knock. We'll be there in about…twenty minutes?"

"Ok."

"Oh! We'll have to wait for my brother-in-law when we get there. I hope you don't mind."

"No, that's fine."

"'Kay. See ya in a few!"

"Ok. Bye."

As soon as she hung up the phone, Ai popped up beside her in a millisecond, completely out of nowhere.

*Ah!*

"Who was that?" she asked excitedly.

"Ms. Kagome, my doctor." D'Leh said, placing a hand over her chest to slow her racing heart beat. "Now, I want you to _behave_ Chivo, ¿Comprendé? Ignore the urge to act like a demented squirrel, Hm?"

Ai giggled at the image.

"And remember your manners." she added for good measure.

"Yes Aunty." she said innocently.

D'Leh smiled slightly.

"Good. Now let me tie your shoelaces before you trip and break something."

For the next half hour or so, Ai and D'Leh sat in the living room watching cartoons until she heard a car coming up the driveway. D'Leh got up and peeked out the window to see Kagome in a knee length, flowy white skirt and a yellow blouse, speed-walking up the pavement to their house.

"Ai? Come, it's time to go." she said, grabbing the twenty dollars her grandmother had managed to spare and the house keys.

"Yayyy!"

D'Leh heard a few light raps on the door after stuffing the keys in her pocket, and she opened it to see a huffing, smiling Kagome and who she guessed to be her husband coming up behind her. He was perhaps a few inches taller than her with long white hair, white furry dog ears nestled in between it, and a pair of eerily familiar golden eyes. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a rumpled white Tee, and they looked quite nice together as a married couple. They greeted each other and Kagome introduced him, though she kinda knew a little bit about him from their first session a few weeks ago.

"And who's this?" Kagome asked, spotting a small figure hiding behind D'Leh's legs, peeping up at them curiously.

"Oh, this is Ai, my niece."

"Well, hello there." Kagome said kindly, smiling down at her.

Ai waved shyly back, and D'Leh made a small laugh.

"Just give her a few minutes." she told them. "She wont be so shy for long, trust me."

"If you say so." Kagome said, smiling. Then she checked her watch. "Ah! We gotta hurry if we want a good parking spot."

"Alright." said Inuyasha, whipping out his keys. "Let's roll."

After closing and locking the door behind her, D'Leh took Ai's hand in her own and they climbed into the backseat while Inuyasha and Kagome got into their seats at the front. There she met the twins, Natsu (the oldest by five minutes) and Satsu. They were similar in appearance, both having the amber-colored eyes and furry dog ears of their father, but Natsu had Kagome's dark hair while Satsu had Inuyasha's. They were looking at them curiously when they entered, and D'Leh gave them a small smile, as did Ai who waved at them from her lap.

"Hello." she told them.

"Hi." Satsu said shyly. "Who are you?"

Her brother elbowed her, and she leaned toward him.

"That's Mommy's new 'patent' dummy." he whispered quietly.

"Ohhhhhhh…Hey! I'm no dummy! _You're_ the dummy, dummy!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Nu-uh!"

"Hey you two." Inuyasha said, smirking at their childish bickering as he stared down at them sternly. "Enough of that."

"Yes Daddy." they answered in unison, ears drooping sadly.

*Hahh…so cute.* D'Leh thought, laughing a little.

"…Miss Kagome?" Ai asked, pulling on her sleeve.

Kagome turned and smiled down at her kindly.

"Yes?"

"Where we going?"

"I'll tell you when we get there." she told her with a laugh. "But don't worry, you're going to love it."

Inuyasha waited until she sat back onto her lap before putting the car in reverse and backing out of their driveway, and they drove swiftly to their "unknown" destination.


	6. Chapter Five

-6-

Sesshomaru listened in quiet amusement as he drove while Rin, his eleven year old daughter, chattered happily about going to Tokyo's newly built aquarium. It was the talk of the town; the highlight of just about everyone's conversations. It had the grand opening with the huge scissors, the red ribbon and everything. Why wouldn't it be?

"What's it going to be like…?" she wondered aloud. "I bet it's gonna be HUGE!"

She leaned forward from the backseat onto the middle arm rest up front.

"Do you think they'll have whales there? You think we'll see giant squids, too Daddy?" she asked him excitedly.

"I don't know Rin." he said distractedly, turning a rather sharp corner. "Now sit back and put your seat belt on."

Rin pouted, but she did as her father asked. Just as she was about to clip the belt around her waist, she gasped loudly and zipped right back onto the arm rest.

"Is Kagome gonna be there?"

Sesshomaru nodded, deciding not to remind her that it was Kagome who had suggested they come, and he inwardly winced when she let out an excited squeal near his sensitive ears. Three lights and a left turn later, they pulled up to the front of the aquarium and he parked his car beside Inuyasha's maxima. Sesshomaru got out and opened Rin's door, who then _hopped_ out and scampered off while he walked steadily behind her.

With Rin bouncing on her feet excitedly beside him, he paid the entrance fee and he entered to find Kagome, Inuyasha, the kids and their guests by the large map of the entire aquarium showing the various exhibits. Inuyasha, already smelling him, turned and stared at him impudently while his wife was all smiles.

He was a bit surprised to see that their guest was the same girl he had seen entering the hospital weeks ago, and the two consecutive weeks. She glanced up and gaped openly, recognizing him also, but she was pulled on the sleeve by a cute little girl—her daughter perhaps?—who was soon awarded her attention.

"Kagome!" Rin squealed as she ran toward her, and she hugged her tightly around the waist.

Kagome laughed and hugged her back.

"Hello Rin. Hello Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru nodded in greeting. Then he looked over at Inuyasha with distaste. He grunted, and after a small glare and a nudge from his spouse Inuyasha sighed heavily.

"…Sesshomaru." he said stiffly.

"…Inuyasha." Sesshomaru answered coldly as he patted their two young children, both of whom were clutching at his light jeans, on their heads.

"Who's that?" Rin asked, pointing at the two newcomers in front of her.

"Rin." Sesshomaru chided gently. "No pointing."

"Oops."

"Oh! Yes. Rin, Sesshomaru, this is my newest patient, D'Leh Jiménez." she told them, smiling at her. "D'Leh, this is my brother-in-law and his daughter, Rin."

"…Hello." she told them, smiling a shy half-smile.

"Hiiii!" Rin said excitedly, and she hugged her also, nearly pummeling her to the floor.

D'Leh managed to stay balanced despite the impact, and she couldn't help smiling as she giggled up at her.

"Rin…" Sesshomaru said with a warning tone.

"Uh-oh…"

Rin released her and she looked sheepishly back at her father.

"Rin, try to refrain from doing that please." he said quietly, watching her sternly.

Her shoulders sagged sadly.

"Yes, Daddy…" she mumbled.

"Uhm, wait…" D'Leh interjected.

Both Sesshomaru and his daughter looked back at her.

"You don't have to be so upset with her."

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow slightly.

"W-well, what I mean is, she's just…being herself."

Rin's face brightened and D'Leh gave her a small smile before looking back at Sesshomaru.

"I'm, I'm pretty used to it." she muttered, sticking her hands into the pockets of her cargos as she shrugged a shoulder casually.

She glanced over at the small child looking up at her innocently, and she nudged her playfully with her leg.

*She's gonna regret saying that…* he thought, glancing at his daughter's quickly brightening expression.

"Does that mean I can do that whenever I see you?" Rin asked, brown eyes looking hopeful.

D'Leh stood motionless for a minute, and she blinked blankly at her. The corners of Sesshomaru's lips began to twitch like crazy at her expression.

"Uhhh…" she said, looking unsure."I guess on and off would be fine…I think…"

Rin giggled and she glomped her a second time.

"Ok, ok. Now that everyone's been acquainted with my patient," Kagome said, trying to hide a smile,"why don't we start looking around?"

She turned back to the large map behind them, and she tapped her chin thoughtfully.

"Hmmm. Why don't we—"

"Ooh, ooh! I wanna feed a shark!" Natsu yelled, pulling his father's hand.

"Wait a—"

"No! Let's see the penguins!" Satsu said excitedly, pulling Inuyasha's other hand in the opposite direction.

"Hey now wait a sec—"

"No, sharks." Natsu persisted pulling harder.

"Ouch! Natsu—"

"Penguins." Satsu argued, who, like her brother, pulled harder likewise.

"Satsu! Stop that don't—"

"Sharks."

"Penguins."

"_Sharks_."

"_Penguins_."

"SHARKS!"

"PENGUINS!"

The twins were now in a tug-of-war battle over their father. Total tug-of-war.

"Oh dear…" Kagome murmured.

D'Leh, meanwhile, stared wide-eyed at the hectic scene. Rin laughed in obvious humor while Sesshomaru, on the other hand, was the picture of absolute placidness.

"A-are they always like this?" she asked him, shocked.

He glanced over at her coolly.

"Only on bad days. And rainy days. And when they're bored, or hungry, or—"

A pair of small yelps reached their ears, and they looked back to see Inuyasha, who was looking surprisingly calm, with one wriggling twin over his shoulder and the other under his arm.

"Daddy!" Satsu whined, struggling.

"Don't 'Daddy' me, pup. I ain't letting you down 'til I'm good and ready."

"Mommy?" Natsu asked, pouting.

"I'm sorry honey, but what Daddy says goes. Just this once."

"Eyyy, what do you mean by 'Just this once', B****" Inuyasha snapped.

Kagome's eyes narrowed dangerously, and she crossed her arms.

"I'm sorry, Husband. _What_ did you just say?"

D'Leh could hear Inuyasha gulp from where she was standing, and two small giggles told her that the others did as well.

"Dear." Inuyasha corrected himself.

"Uh-huh. That's what I _thought_ you said." she told him sternly. Then she turned back to the map again. "Now—gah!"

"To the touch tanks we go!" Rin declared, dragging D'Leh (thus her niece) and Kagome forward.

Inuyasha and Sesshomaru shared a look, and then they followed them silently.

*Women…* Inuyasha thought.

*…Kids.* thought his brother.

* * *

At the touch tank exhibit, the group was met with a multitude of sea creatures: red leg hermits, red snapping shrimp, emerald crabs and much much more. The occasional sting ray swam past, and the kids were absolutely mesmerized by its elegance and grace. There were plenty of coral and anemones in many beautiful colors, but what stuck out most of all was this small upside down jellyfish with a blue-white patterning. They then went to the animal feedings and they watched (thankfully) from a _very_ safe distance as they fed walruses, sea otters and, of course, penguins and sharks. D'Leh really enjoyed herself, as well as her little niece who especially enjoyed the two stuffed animal toys she had bought for her, but what surprised her most of all was that during these activities she had caught Sesshomaru looking at her often from time to time.

She was of course flattered…and, very confused. She was never interested in looking for a boyfriend, so she paid little attention to them or in obtaining one. She'd learned (thanks, surprisingly, to her school) that boys only looked at you if you were either 1) hot, 2) sexy, or 3) both. She was neither. She owned non-flattering clothes and she had no heels or bags to speak of; all she really needed was her pockets…. She didn't even own a thong, an undergarment that was just…FOREIGN to her. What about a girl like her could possibly make a man like him stare? Continually?

She sighed. *Men are so confusing…*

Applause suddenly erupted in her ears, and she glanced down when Ai tugged on her pant leg to get her attention.

"Did you see, Aunty? Did you see?" she asked, looking excited. "Did you see it flip?"

D'Leh smiled and nodded as she ruffled her hair playfully. Ai giggled and turned back to face the glass wall. D'Leh glanced back up in time to see that Sesshomaru had again been watching them, and her smile slowly faded. He held her eyes for some time, something he hadn't done before, and he had a thoughtful look in his own. Then, realizing he was openly staring, he looked abruptly away. D'Leh did the same, her face warming again just like the first time she had seen him at the hospital, and she felt her cheek self-consciously.

*Am I seriously blushing right now?* she wondered as cameras went flashing and sounds of awe and amazement were heard all around her. *I can't be…. No.*

"D'Leh?"

She looked up to see Kagome watching her with a degree concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah, I'm fine. Just a little warm is all." she said, fanning herself with her hand.

Now at ease, Kagome smiled before she turned back around; D'Leh glanced furtively over at Sesshomaru to see him smirking to himself.

*Oh God…I think he heard that…*

She felt like hiding under a very large rock…. The feedings then ended, and the crowded area soon filled with loud boisterous conversation.

"Alright guys." Kagome said happily. "Let's have a quick snack."

The children cheered, as did Inuyasha, and they walked outside to the nearby vending carts and machines. Rin, Ai, Natsu, and Satsu all had twinkles in their eyes as they looked around at the delicious, wonderful smelling food, and their expressions brought a smile to her face.

"Alright, kiddies." Inuyasha said, squatting beside them. "What's your pleasure?"

Satsu tugged on the end of his shirt.

"Daddy, I want Dippin' Dots."

"Me, too." Natsu added. "I want some, too."

"You want some _what_?" Kagome asked, prodding them.

"Pleeeeaaaasssseeee." the twins said in unison.

"That's more like it."

While the twins told them what flavors they wanted, Ai looked up at her aunt hopefully and patted her leg.

"D'Leh?"

"Hm?

"Can I have Dots, too? Please?" she asked, wisely adding the last part.

"Sure sweetie. Which flavor?"

Ai looked down as she drew her brows together, and she stuck out her tongue in deep concentration. Then she looked back up.

"Rainboat." she said finally.

D'Leh smiled slightly. "Rainboat?"

Ai nodded decisively."Rainboat."

"Alright, 'rainboat' it is." she said, letting out a small laugh.

She stepped in line behind Kagome and her family. As she stood there behind them she glanced around and spotted Sesshomaru and his daughter a little ways off buying snow cones. His was a medium and a light yellow, like a piña colada. Rin's was a large, and its color ranged from red to purple. She smiled. She didn't really know Rin all that much, but she could sense it was something she'd automatically pick.

"Next?"

D'Leh turned and stepped quickly forward, smiling apologetically for holding up the line.

"What can I get you, Miss?"

"Uhmmm…I'll have a rocky road and she'll have—"

"Rainboat." Ai piped up, trying to look over the shiny metal counter.

The vendor looked at D'Leh, confused.

"Uhhh, oh number two please." she whispered.

The vendor smiled knowingly, and he filled two medium-sized cups with Dippin' Dots: one covered with cookie crumblings and the other with multi-colored sprinkles.

"That'll be $4.25." he said, placing them on the counter.

"$4.25?" she asked, sounding a little surprised. "No small-sized containers?"

He smiled apologetically.

"Sorry. It's the smallest we got."

"Ah, ok…"

Sesshomaru, meanwhile, had already purchased his and his daughter's treats, and he could hear the sad, disappointed tone in D'Leh's voice from where he was sitting. He glanced back to see her rummaging in her pockets for extra change, and he frowned.

"Rin, I'll be right back…" he told her, placing his cup on the table and getting up from his seat.

"Ok!" she chirped.

"Well…" D'Leh said as he neared them," you can forget mine and, uh, just give me hers."

"Ok. That'll be $2.15."

"Thanks—"

"No, keep the order. I'll pay for her."

D'Leh jumped in surprise, and she turned to see Sesshomaru standing beside her.

*W-what is he—*

He looked at her as he took out his wallet, and he pulled out a five dollar bill and handed it to the vendor.

"Thank you, Sir. Here's your change. Next?"

Sesshomaru took the cups away from him and he handed them to them both.

"Here."

"Thank you Mr. Sashimi." Ai said, smiling shyly as she took her ice cream.

"…You're welcome."

He heard her aunt snicker quietly, and he looked at her calmly before he gave her hers.

"Thanks…" she said, suddenly calm and in disbelief. "...I'll pay you back when—"

"No, that's quite alright." he interrupted, giving her a small smile.

She gaped. She'd never seen him smile before. Never. But, now that he did, he looked…well…

*Huh. He looks hotter when he—GAH! What am I saying?*

She shook her head.

"Ok, well, thanks Mr.…uhm…"

He smiled again.

"Sesshomaru is fine. There's no need for us to be formal."

"Thanks, Sesshomaru." she said, suddenly feeling shy herself. "…Come on Ai."

Sesshomaru followed them back to the covered table where Kagome had already begun a discussion about where to go next, and it seemed she was trying to explain the difference between an aquarium and an amusement park to her little son.

"Natsu, honey, they don't have roller coasters here. This isn't SeaWorld."

"None?" he asked, looking sad.

"No. I'm sorry."

His ears drooped in disappointment; his father ruffled his hair.

"What about the AquaTheater instead?" she suggested.

Four small faces lit up with excitement. Kagome smiled, then she looked over at D'Leh and Sesshomaru.

"D'Leh? Wanna come with us?" she asked.

"Well, I wanted to check out the tour on Cichlids actually."

"'Sick lids'?" Ai asked, looking confused.

"They're tropical fish Chivo." D'Leh explained, wiping a drip of vanilla ice cream off of her chin. "I would often see them when I was growing up in Puerto Rico with my mother. They're very beautiful."

Sesshomaru looked at her with a brow raised slightly, his interest piqued.

"You lived in Puerto Rico?" he asked.

"Yes, until I was eight." she told him, scraping the bottom of her now empty ice cream cup with her spoon. "My mother and I then moved here to Japan when she got a new job."

"What did she do?" Kagome asked, leaning forward with her chin in her hand, also interested.

"Well, she was a linguist, but she was also a professional painter; it was her side job, but she loved it as much as her first." D'Leh muttered, feeling uncomfortable.

"Well, now we know where you get your artistic side from." Kagome told her.

D'Leh smiled back in thanks.

"So, was she the one who taught you?"

D'Leh nodded.

"Yeah. I always used to sit beside her when I was younger and watched her paint. She taught me languages, too. I knew about… three or four by the time I came here…"

Kagome elbowed her husband gently to get his attention.

"I told you she was smart." she whispered.

D'Leh rubbed the back of her neck, looking embarrassed as she looked down at her cup.

"They weren't _that_ hard to learn…"she mumbled. "I mean, when my mother taught me she used everyday things." Then she shrugged, looking sad. "It was pretty fun…"

"Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, turning to him. "How about you?"

Sesshomaru stared at her blankly, thinking to himself.

*…Me…sitting on already wet bleachers…wearing a plastic poncho…*

"No." he said bluntly, after some time.

"Dick." Inuyasha muttered as he went to the trash can.

D'Leh looked from him, to Sesshomaru, and then over to Kagome who was staring dangerously at the back of her husband's head. Then she did something very strange. She reached calmly under the table and took off her shoe, a thick wooden wedge, and she chucked it right at him, hitting him square in the face when he turned around.

"OUCH! Dammit Kagome!" he yelled furiously.

The children giggled uncontrollably; D'Leh winced. *Ohhh, that's gotta hurt…*

Inuyasha looked like he was about to let loose a very long string of curses, but one look from his wife, as well as a nervous glance at her other shoe, confined him to quiet, murderous grumbling.

"Shoe please."

He handed it over unceremoniously.

"Thank you."

She put it back on while Inuyasha plopped down beside her, sulking. D'Leh was able to catch the triumphant look Sesshomaru shot at him; Inuyasha flipped him the bird, thankfully out of his wife's (and the children's) eyesight.

"Alright guys, time to go!" she told the rest of them, suddenly cheerful. "The show starts in ten minutes."

*…Either that woman is bipolar or pregnant again…* D'Leh thought, staring as the others got up and threw away their trash.

She eventually got up and did likewise, taking Ai's empty cup and her own. When she returned to the table Kagome had a mini-map of the whole aquarium open, and she was surrounded by the kids on all sides, all of them peering down at it excitedly.

"Ok, so…according to this map the AquaTheater is…ah, straight ahead that-a-way." she told them, rising from her seat.

"Alright, let's move it." Inuyasha muttered as he picked up his daughter and placed her on his shoulders.

Just as they were moving to leave Ai hurried over to her aunt's side and she looked up at her hopefully. D'Leh gave her a small smile and, stuffing her hands into her pockets, she motioned her head in their direction. Ai scampered back to them excitedly, and she grabbed Rin's outstretched hand.

"We'll meet you at the Seaside Café in about two hours for lunch guys!" Kagome yelled, turning.

D'Leh watched them leave until they blended into the crowd. She was a little anxious without Ai right beside her, but she knew she'd be fine with Kagome and the others looking out for her.

"Well? Are we going?" Sesshomaru asked, coming up beside her.

D'Leh turned her head abruptly and gave him a puzzled look. "Huh?"

"We're going on the tour, aren't we?" he asked, cocking his own slightly.

D'Leh blinked. "We are?"

He smirked and he took her by the arm, making her blush lightly as he led her toward the large building a few yards up where a large crowd of people were gathering. D'Leh looked around when they neared it, and then she knitted her eyebrows together.

"Are you sure this is the place for the tours?" she asked him as he led her toward the milling groups of people. "Maybe we should—"

He stopped suddenly, and she bumped into him.

"Sorry—…what is it?"

He turned and he gave her a blank look, then he leaned toward her slowly and they were almost nose to nose. Her face was becoming warmer by the second.

*What the he—*

"Are you trying to say that I don't know my way around an aquarium?" he murmured, watching her calmly with a twinkle in his eye.

She blanched.

"I may be old, but I'm not _that_ ancient." he sniffed.

"…I, uh—"

_"Hellooo __Ladies __and __Gentlemen_!" a bright voice suddenly blared from a megaphone.

Heads turned, including Sesshomaru's, and they saw a young auburn-haired woman dressed in a turquoise-blue Tee, bright white sneakers and khakis standing on a concrete picnic table. She seemed…hyper…and she reminded her of one of those perky cashiers at the Drive-Thru of a fast food restaurant. She took this chance while Sesshomaru was distracted to take an unnoticeable step away from him, and she pulled lightly at her arm, making him release her.

"_So __sorry __for __the __long __wait_." she chirped, jumping off of the table bench. "_Now __if __you __please, __the __other __tour __guide __and __I __can __take __fifteen __people __at __a __time. __Please __separate __and __we'll __begin momentarily_."

The crowd clamored around as people began calling one another's names. D'Leh and Sesshomaru stood in the middle of the moving sea of people and they shared a quick glance. She shrugged, and he led her to the female guide's growing group of people.

"_Ok! __We __are __now __ready __to __proceed __through __the __main __building __and __begin __the __tour_!" she announced, smiling.

She clicked off the megaphone, and with a bounce of her ponytail she turned and opened the doors of the building before them with a flourish.


	7. Chapter Six

-7-

When they entered the building it was like walking into the middle of a sci-fi movie from the eighties. Bright lights shined down from above, and everything appeared to be covered in a bluish hue. The long thin bulbs on the ceiling were reflected by the freshly waxed tiled floors, but the tanks were the most extraordinary. They were massive, filled to the brim with aquatic life, and they seemed to go on and on for miles. The walls were plastered unevenly with some random dark stones (and the like) glued to it in chunks. It was made to look like imitation underwater rock, and it made her feel like she really _was_ underwater. Their tour guide led the group down a hallway marked "Cichlids", and when they entered, right over their heads there was another tank full of colorful fish. It arched over and connected to the other tanks beside them; it was like walking through a tunnel of air beneath the ocean.

"Wow…" D'Leh breathed, more than amazed.

"Beautiful…isn't it?" Sesshomaru murmured close to her ear.

She blushed yet again, a little embarrassed at being heard, and she nodded, giving him a small smile.

"Ok, so, before we begin with the tour I think I should first introduce myself." their guide told them, giggling. "My name is Tahmie for those of you who don't know me, spelled T-A-H-M-I-E, not T-A-M-M-Y, heehee."

*…Where do they get these people?* D'Leh thought, watching her.

"Now for some background info, 'kay?" she said, smiling again. "Cichlids are tropical fish found in Africa, South and Central America, and a few species can be found in Asia and North America. These colorful fish inhabit the most varied waters from roaring rivers and oceans to the tiniest, wittlest ponds!"

D'Leh's eye began to twitch, spaz-like.

*…"Wittle"?*

"Their color appearance, many different species and behavior make it the most popular aquarium fish." Tahmie continued with a bright smiled. "Now, as you can see in the tanks above and beside us, cichlids come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Their shapes can be anywhere from pencil-like to a leaf, but the most common shape you will find would be an arched back, an end-positioned mouth, flattened sides, and an undershot or overshot jaw. And, as you can see by those two sparring over there, cichlids tend to be aggressive and just a little territorial."

D'Leh heard a small "Hm" beside her, and she glanced over to see Sesshomaru smirking in amusement.

"What's so funny?" she whispered as Tahmie led the small crowd further down the hallway into a wide circular room.

He glanced at her and leaned toward her, again making her stomach flutter and her body temperature rise.

"That's one thing these fish and I have in common."

D'Leh rolled her eyes, understanding what he meant, and they hurried to catch up with the rest of the group. For the latter half of the tour the surveyors went off in clumps of twos, threes, or fives and viewed the other tanks, asking Tahmie questions if they had any. D'Leh was able to point out a few she remembered seeing back when she used to explore the warm clear waters of Puerto Rico with her mother: a Firemouth, which had a body fading from green to black and a fiery red jaw; a Blue Acara; a Discus.

"Oh, look!" she exclaimed, getting Sesshomaru's attention. "A Severum!"

Sesshomaru leaned close to the acrylic tank, some of his luxuriant hair falling onto her shoulder in the process, and his golden eyes narrowed.

"…I don't see anything." he said bluntly, straightening.

"You're the one with heightened senses; how can you _not_ see it?" she asked him, sounding a bit incredulous.

He only blinked once slowly. She puffed at her hair and shook her head, then she turned back to the tank and jabbed it with her finger.

"See that beige, light brown rock? Right there?"

She felt him lean forward again and nod by her shoulder.

"Good. Now, focus; this Severum is just about the same color as that rock, and its fins are see-through." she said quietly as his eyes roamed it. "If you concentrate hard enough you might just catch its movement."

He leaned closer, and had she been more aware she would've already noticed his cheek was almost touching her own. She stilled, feeling soft skin brushing her. Sesshomaru glanced over at her and smiled slyly to himself when he felt her go rigid, then he slapped himself inwardly. He didn't know why this girl was seeing his sister-in-law for therapy, whether it was for some type of abuse or mental illness of some kind (though the health of her psyche didn't seem to bother him; apparently she was fit enough to be given charge of a small child…). He didn't want her to think he was playing with her, which confused him…and which he technically was….

**Don't ****act ****like ****your ****not ****enjoying ****this, ****Sashimi~**

A growl stealthily rose from the back of his throat and D'Leh glanced at him sharply, a bit surprised.

*Belial…* he thought warningly.

**Oh ****stop. ****I ****won't ****let ****myself ****loose. ****Not ****yet ****anyway, ****but ****you ****know ****I'm ****right. **_**I'm **_**here ****aren't ****I? **

*…*

**Oh ****come ****on, ****don't ****be ****so ****mean. ****I'm ****only ****saying ****the ****truth; ****I ****know ****you ****Sesshomaru****…****well, ****actually ****I **_**am **_**you, ****sort ****of. **

*What truth?*

…**Look ****at ****her ****Sesshomaru.**

*…What?*

**If ****you ****won't ****say ****it ****then ****I ****will. **

*Belial.*

**Say ****it.**

*…*

**DUDE! ****SHE'S ****FRICKIN' ****SEXY!**

*She's…cute, I agree.*

**Cute? **_**Cute**_**? ****Do ****you ****not ****see ****those ****legs? ****If ****I ****had ****arms ****I'd ****slap ****you.**

*Ok. She's got a pretty face and a nice body. So what?*

**So ****what? ****What ****happened ****to ****you, huh? ****What ****happened ****to **_**us**_**? ****I'm ****deprived ****of ****my ****heat-driven, ****passionate ****love-****making ****time! ****This ****is ****anarchy! **

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes.

*Don't be such a child Belial.*

**When ****that ****Kagura ****chick ****was****— **

*-SNARL-*

…**Alright****…****chill****…****it's ****cool. ****It's ****your ****body. ****Do ****what ****you ****want ****with ****it; ****I ****have ****noo ****say-so****…****that ****is ****until ****you ****get ****all ****riled ****up ****and ****horn****— **

*_Belial_.*

**Bye-bye!**

Sesshomaru hung his head and sighed. Having an inner beast was like having a young teenager chock full of hormones trying to break free and run after anything with a heartbeat, hidden deep inside of you.

*…Kami, why…*

"…Uhm…Sesshomaru?" D'Leh asked for the fifth time.

He shook his head slightly, then he stood upright abruptly.

"Huh?"

"Are you alright?" she asked, a little worried. "You were looking like a…a robot for some time now."

"Oh." he said blankly. He glanced at the tank quickly. "…I was concentrating on the fish."

"Ah." she said quietly. "…Uhm, did you see it?"

He watched her steadily for some time, knowing fully well that his gaze was boring deeply into hers. He made a small smile when the color of embarrassment (and perhaps something else) lit up her cheeks, something she'd been doing a lot of throughout the entire day. She looked much prettier when she blushed, but first seeing her, you wouldn't believe someone like her would _ever_ do such a thing.

*Belial was right... I do enjoy toying with her.*

…_**Told **_**ya.**

He nodded.

"Yes…very beautiful…." he said, eyeing her pointedly.

D'Leh thought she detected a hidden meaning in those eyes, but she was probably seeing something that just wasn't there.

"Heh…uhhh, oh, look. Angelfish." she said, moving quickly to the other side of the circular room.

He followed slowly behind her, his hands stuffed in the front pockets of his old jeans, and he leaned against a strip of wall, gaining her attention.

"…What?" she asked, slightly nervous and a little peeved.

He was silent for a few moments, watching her.

"…I have a personal question to ask you. You don't have to answer if you don't want to." he added when she looked down at her hands.

She glanced back up and nodded.

"Ok." she said.

"…Why are you seeing Kagome?"

He soon regretted the moment those words left his mouth when a mixed look of hurt and sadness flickered briefly in her mirror-colored eyes, but then it was replaced with an empty one. He opened his mouth to speak, but she looked away from him and stared vacantly into the tank.

"You think I'm a freak."

It wasn't a question. He moved to stand beside her, but he felt her take a small step away from him; he closed the gap anyway. They were silent for a few minutes, her statement still hanging in the air like a foul smell, then a small thought slipped slyly into his mind and he sighed heavily.

*Belial…* he thought tiredly.

**DO ****IT.**

He could feel a migraine creeping along the side of his brain.

*Rin hardly gives me as much trouble as you do Belial…*

**I ****know ****^_^. ****Now ****do ****it. **

*…Fine.*

***Happy ****Dance***

"Well," he began, murmuring, "not in the sense of being deranged or altered…now if you mean the _other_ kind of freak…"

He saw her eyes widen slowly by her reflection on the glass when she realized to what he was alluding, and she elbowed him roughly.

"You're such a—"

"Man? Yes, I am." he interrupted, pushing some of his hair behind a pointed ear. "If you were having doubts about my manhood I can assure you that can easily be corrected."

D'Leh gaped, her mouth opening and closing like a fish without water. Her face reddened all the more when he smirked yet again. She never realized Sesshomaru could be this…crude and vulgar. He was a lawyer for Pete's sake; wasn't he supposed to be serious?

"Now, answer my question." he stated, suddenly serious.

*Ah, there we go…*

They stared each other down, and as he expected she looked away first, arms crossed and jaw set stubbornly as she glared at the tank before them. He reached for her chin, but she pulled back quickly in reflex. He sighed.

"…Did someone hurt you?" he asked, whispering.

D'Leh, realizing to what he was referring, shrugged.

"Not in the way you think..." she whispered back.

He was relieved to hear her say that. He knew many rape victims, ones he represented in court, who acted in a similar fashion: unresponsive and unwilling to look you in the face.

"If you _must_ know," she continued, "my grandmother wanted me to see Kagome because I was misbehaving a lot…I got into fights at school…"

It was Sesshomaru's turn to blink.

"Why?"

She shrugged again, looking down at her shoes.

"I don't know. When my mom died I just wouldn't talk to anybody…for three years the most you could ever get out of me was a stare and a nod…"

Sesshomaru's face softened as he listened to her. This girl had held a strong attachment to her late mother; his was never so kind, and he tried to make it so that he could NEVER come by her…

"I just couldn't open my mouth..." she whispered, tracing the edge between tank and wall with her finger. Then she laughed dryly. "I guess I knew if I did I'd bawl like a baby…"

"Why wouldn't you? Children tend to cry for their mothers all the time."

_**You **_**didn't. ****Y****ou ****didn't ****even ****go ****to ****her ****funeral!**

*I did go…after she was buried…besides I had a special "case." Don't act like you don't remember Belial.*

**Yeah****…****we ****were ****such ****dogs ****back ****then****… **

*The good old days, huh?* he thought, dripping sarcasm.

**Yep. ****Good ****old ****f*******ing ****days****…**

*…*

"It wasn't that I didn't miss her." D'Leh continued, moving down to another tank.

He followed.

"I had to grow up early; my father's family said they'd finance her funeral, only to keep face, but I had no one to take care of me. I already knew none of _them_ would; my own father didn't want me… and even if they did offer me a place to stay, I wouldn't want to live in that type of… hypocritical lifestyle anyway." she muttered.

"Well, you seem happy now." he said quietly, watching her.

She smiled slightly and stuffed her hands into her pockets, still staring at the tank.

"Yeah, I am…."

Then she glanced over at him.

"What about you?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Why am _I _seeing my sister-in-law?" he asked.

She rolled her eyes.

"No. What's, you know, your story."

"…I wouldn't want to damage your virgin ears."

She gave him a look.

"Alright then. You and your brother. Explain that."

"Explain what."

She sighed.

"You guys don't seem to like each other very much. I mean, he _is_ your broth—"

"Half-brother." he corrected.

"He's still your brother. Half, quarter or otherwise."

"Yeah, I know." he muttered. *Unfortunately…*

"I would've liked having a brother or a sister around. Until recently I _did_ have an older half-sister, but she's no longer here…"

"Just goes to show that some things are fleeting…" he murmured, the image of a certain crimson-eyed woman popping into his mind.

"Yeah, well, her death was unfortunate, but I never would've met Ai if she hadn't died."

"Isn't she your daughter?" he asked.

D'Leh stared at him, shocked, then she surprised him by busting out laughing. He frowned slightly.

"Hahaha, I'm sorry." she said, holding back another laugh. "I'm not laughing at you if that's what you're thinking, haha!"

"Then…what's so funny?"

"Ha, Ai is my _niece_." she told him, calming down. "I'm too young to have kids."

"Hmm…" he grunted, thoughtful.

"What?"

"Well, in the ancient days of Japan, girls your age already had three or four children."

She looked at him as if he was insane.

"Wha—well…how old was your wife when she had Rin?"

He gave her a wry smile.

"Rin isn't my biological daughter, and I don't have a wife; never did."

"Oh…"

"…I almost did though."

She felt surprisingly disappointed (and a little relieved) to hear him say that.

"What happened?"

"I don't know…" he murmured, speaking more to himself." She had an off-again-on-again relationship with her previous boyfriend. They split permanently, over what I don't know, then we met and we just…hit it off."

**Yeah****…****they ****hit ****it ****off ****alright****…'****til ****3 ****in ****the ****morning****.**

*…Shut up, Belial.*

"I see…"

"We were happy together, very happy, and we dated for many many years."

"How many?" she asked, curious.

"Two, three hundred years. Four hundred tops."

D'Leh blinked.

"I'm Youkai if you haven't guessed already." he said, smirking. "We're practically immortal."

"…Wow…. But, wouldn't she—?"

"She was Youkai as well, and even if she wasn't our coming together would've given her my life span."

"That's so…so… wow I don't even have a word for it." she said, laughing quietly.

"I know." he said, looking a bit smug, then his faced suddenly darkened and he sighed.

"That didn't seem to impress her for long though…nothing did. She started to change…she was becoming someone I didn't know anymore…a stranger…"

A pang went through her. He had loved this woman, and very deeply.

"I was planning to propose to her, despite her changes." he continued, looking her blankly in the eye. "But one day I came back home from work to find her in _our_ bed with her _ex_…"

"I'm sorry…" she said quietly.

He shrugged.

"It was for the best…" he told her. "Not long after that I found Rin huddled on my door step, scrounging for food; she was just a baby you know. I took her in and I took care of her for a couple days." he smiled slightly. "I tried to find out who her parents were, and I was going to turn her over to children's services, but I started to grow fond of her so, I adopted her; she's filled the void my ex made, but the pain has never left…"

"Well…Rin seems like a very precious little girl, someone that would make anyone happy…or maybe insane…"

He chuckled at that all too true statement.

"It's so weird…" he mused. "I've never looked at myself as a parent."

D'Leh made a scoffing laugh.

"Me either…" she muttered.

"I was in for a shock when I decided to take Rin under my wing. I wasn't able to sleep properly for months…"

D'Leh laughed, finding an image of a frazzled Sesshomaru trying to put a fussy Rin to sleep hilarious. He gave her a look that said he knew exactly what she was thinking about, and she stifled another laugh.

"Okay everyone!" a bright voice announced.

Everyone turned and gave Tahmie their full attention.

"The tour is now over! You can wander into the other exhibits if you wish or catch a show at the AquaTheater which will begin in another twenty minutes." she told them, smiling. "Kevin and I will assist you in any way we can. Please, enjoy the rest of the aquarium!"

D'Leh and Sesshomaru followed the rest of the crowd as it surged forward, and they found themselves out in the bright sunlight. D'Leh blinked and rubbed her eyes, seeing splotches everywhere.

"What time is it?" she asked, still rubbing her eyes.

Sesshomaru glanced down at his wrist.

"Quarter to twelve."

D'Leh blinked.

"Seriously?"

He nodded.

"Wow…an hour and forty-five minutes…where do we go next?"

"Hungry?" he asked.

"Uhhhh…" she could feel the four singles burning in her back pocket. "Nah, I'm—"

Her stomach (of its own free will) growled, suddenly and ferociously.

"Heh…never mind." she said, her face red with embarrassment.

Sesshomaru couldn't help smiling.

"Don't worry I'll pay your bill for you. No buts." he said when she started to protest. "This way."

* * *

After about ten minutes of making many wrong turns and getting totally lost, D'Leh and Sesshomaru finally found the aquarium's renowned Seaside Café: a small wooden structure made to look like an old riverside hut. It was built by a man-made lake, which was also an exhibit, and the sound of crying sea gulls and other sea/ocean/beach sounds played from the nearby speakers.

"_Told_ ya it was this way." D'Leh muttered, sounding a little cranky.

"We're here now, aren't we?" Sesshomaru said calmly, as if reasoning with a nap-deprived child.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's go I'm hungry." she said, leading the way.

Sesshomaru hid a smile and followed, highly amused.

**Looks ****like ****we ****got ****a ****feisty ****one ****on ****our ****hands ****my ****man.**

*NO. I'm not getting involved with this one Belial.* he thought sternly.

**Wha****—****why ****not?**

*…Too young.*

"**Too ****Young?****" ****When ****did ****you ****start ****having ****an ****age ****limit ****for ****sex?**

*Not. Happening. End of subject.

**But****—**

*Nope.*

**Aww****— **

*Nu-uh.*

**Really?...I don't ****recall ****receiving ****a ****memo.**

Warmth was growing _far_ south of the border…

*DON'T. EVEN. DARE.*

**Too ****late.**

*BELIAL!*

**Muhuhu****—****MWAHAHAHAHAHA!...Just ****kidding.**

The warmth subsided. He started to growl, but he calmed when he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, and he looked beside him abruptly to see D'Leh watching him (to his surprise and pleasure) with a degree of concern.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked.

"…Yes."

"Ok." she said, watching him warily.

She suddenly realized her hand was still on his arm, and she removed it quickly. She opened her mouth to say something, then she closed it and hurried through the restaurant doors. He followed not that long after, wishing her soft and very warm hand was still on his arm, and he entered to see her approaching the young hostess standing behind the wooden podium. He moved to catch up with her.

"Good afternoon." the young brown-haired woman said, smiling politely.

"Hello." D'Leh said as he walked up beside her.

The hostess looked between them, and she smiled a little wider.

"Just two?" she asked.

"Huh?...Oh! Oh, no no no no no. we're not—I-I mean—he's not—and I—ha." D'Leh laughed nervously. "We're just—"

"We're expecting six more." Sesshomaru interrupted, placing an arm on her shoulder, making her jump.

The woman watched him strangely and glanced at D'Leh's surprisingly flat belly.

"What?"

"Two adults, four children?"

"Oh….Oh! Sorry booth or table?"

"Booth please." D'Leh muttered, deeply and utterly embarrassed.

"Ok. This way." the hostess said, grabbing four adult menus (and 4 smaller ones) and she led them through the lobby. She took them to the back of the restaurant, and she found them a large booth with a round table. As a bonus, it had a view of the small lake.

"What would you like to drink?" she asked, pen and pad poised to take their order.

"Root beer please. Oh, and a fruit punch." D'Leh said quietly, messing with the sugar packets.

"And you, Sir?" she asked, looking at him as she scribbled frantically on the notepad.

"A sprite, an orange soda, two lemonades, a diet coke and a water please."

Both D'Leh and the waitress/hostess stared at him quizzically.

"...Wow, ok. Be right back with your drinks." she said, flipping the small cover of her notepad and walking off.

"…You must have a bladder of steel…" D'Leh told him, blinking.

"They're for my brother and his family, idiot." he said, feigning annoyance. "And my daughter, thank you very much."

"Uh-huh. Riiight." she said sarcastically, hiding a smile as she looked down and played with the sugar packets yet again. "Look, uhm, I'm sorry about what happened back there…"

She was blushing again. He smiled.

"About what?" he asked, playing dumb.

She gave him an annoyed look and opened her mouth to say something, but their waitress suddenly arrived with their drinks, accompanied by another waiter carrying the rest.

"Sorry about the long wait." she said, placing the tray with their drinks on a nearby table and handing them over.

"'Long wait'? You were only gone for like, twenty seconds!"

The waitress smiled at her as she gave them the rest of the drinks.

"Ready to order?" she asked them.

"Uhh…" D'Leh murmured. "I think I'm gonna wait until the others get here. You can order if you want Sesshomaru."

He watched her blankly, raising an eyebrow. She'd been complaining about hunger and starvation before they even got here…_now_ she wants to wait? She shrugged. He smirked.

"Sir?"

"No. I'll do the same."

"Ok. I'll come back when your party of six has arrived."

She walked off, leaving them both alone. D'Leh opened her menu, mainly to look at the prices, and she didn't notice that Sesshomaru was again watching her thoughtfully.

"…D'Leh."

"Hm?" she said, not looking up.

"You're, what? 18?"

"Yeah." she said, glancing up before looking back down at the menu.

"You plan to attend college?"

She looked up a second time and stared at him, a little surprised he had asked, then she looked quickly back down and shrugged her left shoulder.

"I don't know. My grades are okay, and it'd be nice to go, but I can't."

"Why not."

"Because."

"Because why not."

"Because because. End of subject."

He smirked slightly.

"Because Be—"

"HIII DADDY!"

Sesshomaru looked over to see his hyper, energetic eleven year old child running toward them, upsetting a few chairs. Inuyasha and Kagome were thankfully walking with their two five year olds between them, and D'Leh's young niece held onto the fingers of Kagome's other hand, her stuffed animals (including a third) in the crook of her little arm. Rin was almost upon them, and he braced himself.

"Daddy!" Rin squealed happily, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

"Rin." he said calmly, patting her arms. She loosened her hold.

D'Leh smiled at the two of them, then she looked down when she felt a small hand grab her sleeve.

"Look, Look!" Ai told her excitedly, shoving an overly fluffy replica of a baby penguin into her face. "Look what Kagome bought me!"

"It's cute." she said, smiling as she placed her on her lap and took it from her. "What's its name?"

"_His_ name is Mr. Fluffalupagoose." Ai said, looking important.

"Hmm, he sounds mighty prestigious. Maybe we should get him a monocle." she told her, whispering the last part in her ear.

She pulled back and gave her a look, quirking an eyebrow, and she smiled and kissed Ai's forehead when she started to giggle.

"Hey guys!" Kagome greeted them breathlessly, leading three cranky-looking Inus to the table. "Did you wait long?"

"No, not really." D'Leh told her, handing her children their drinks (which they pounced on like ravenous wolves).

"Oh, ok." she said, relieved. "Scootch over a bit."

She did as she asked, though not before telling Ai to crawl over first. The twins hopped over next to her, giggling as they went up and down, then their mother and father did also. Sesshomaru moved closer to her on her left to let his daughter sit beside him; D'Leh pulled Ai closer to give her some more room.

"Did you guys order already?" Kagome asked, looking around at the table.

"No, we said we'd wait, but Sesshomaru ordered your drinks." D'Leh said, passing theirs (and Rin's) over to them.

"Oh. Well, thank you Sesshomaru." she told him, smiling gratefully.

Sesshomaru nodded at her in acknowledgement. Inuyasha, however, stared at his soda in distaste.

"What's wrong Inuyasha?" Kagome asked him, seeing his unhappy look.

"…I…hate…diet…coke…" he muttered, staring at the bubbling glass darkly.

"You're welcome, brother." Sesshomaru said curtly, looking him regally down his nose.

D'Leh stared between them, looking at one and then the other.

"Listen you bast—"

Kagome slapped one of the menus into his face while looking at her own at the same time, and her children laughed at their father.

"Language…" she murmured distractedly, flipping a page.

Inuyasha's ears drooped, and he glared across the table at Sesshomaru. D'Leh looked down at her own menu and covered her mouth with her hand as Ai turned the colorful pages, hiding a smile.

*This is one…special family…*

"Everyone's here?"

All of them glanced over, and Kagome nodded and smiled.

"Yep. All here."

"Ready to order?"

"Yes. I'll have this, uh, shrimp-scampi pasta and these two will have your chicken tender basket."

"I want some, too!" Rin whined, pulling on her father's sleeve.

Sesshomaru inwardly groaned…children could be so tiresome.

"Ok..." the waitress murmured, scribbling it down. "And you, Miss?"

"Uh—"

"I want pooppies please." Ai interrupted her.

D'Leh (and everyone else for that matter) looked down at her, confused.

"Po—Ohhhhh. Ha, alright. What comes with your shrimp poppers?" D'Leh asked, looking back at their waitress.

"Well, there's the sauce, some jumbo shrimp and either fries or tater tots."

"Ai?" she asked, looking back down at her. "Fries or tater tots?"

"Fries."

"And you will have...?"

"Alfredo please. With shrimp."

"Ok... and what will you two gentlemen have?"

"Got any meat?" Inuyasha drawled.

"Inuyasha this is a seafood restaurant." his wife chided him, smacking his arm gently.

"Oh, we have meat." their waitress assured them, smiling. "We're not exactly a conventional seafood place."

"Which brings me to my second question: what kind of meat you got?"

Kagome rolled her eyes; the children laughed.

"We have ribs..." she offered. "Oh, and steak."

"I'll have the steak. Rare." Sesshomaru told her, handing over his menu.

"I'll have those ribs, and since _I'm_ the man around here I'll have a _whole_ rack." Inuyasha declared, staring at Sesshomaru rudely.

Electricity seemed to fizzle between them.

"O…k." the waitress said, staring at the both of them uneasily. "I'll be right back with your food."

The others handed her their menus, and instead of leaping across the table to scratch each other's eyes out, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru chose (thankfully) to ignore one another. Kagome relaxed a little, glad to see that they weren't going to try and kill each other, and she turned to D'Leh who was coloring one of the napkins absently with her niece.

"D'Leh?"

She looked up.

"Yeah?"

"How's your grandmother doing?" she asked, trying to make polite conversation.

"Oh, she's okay. But she did tell me she was having some chest pain, and she looked really tired last time I saw her…"

"Doesn't she work with children?"

"Yeah, but only babies. My grandmother looks really young for her age, but I keep forgetting she's a little ways past 70."

"One of my best friends is a cardiologist; she's very good. Maybe she can check your grandmother out and see if anything's wrong."

D'Leh looked at her hopefully.

"Really?"

"Sure. She won't mind at all." Kagome reassured her, smiling.

D'Leh gave her a small smile in return.

"Thanks…"

"Yayyy! Foooood! Foodfoodfoodfoodfoo—"

Sesshomaru calmly placed his hand over his daughter's mouth. D'Leh stifled a laugh, and the other kids perked up to see their food coming toward them.

"Ok everybody!" their waitress announced, carrying two heavily loaded trays, one in each hand, "Here are your orders. Here's your pasta and the tender baskets…Who had the alfredo?"

"Oh, I did." D'Leh said, taking the steaming plate from her.

"Shrimp poppers?"

"Me." Ai said quietly, watching her shyly.

The waitress smiled down at her and placed the basket in front of her.

"Ok…here are the ribs and the steak; enjoy guys!"

Kagome told her thank you, but everyone else dug into their food hungrily. It disappeared off of their plates within minutes, and when they finished everyone sat back, very satisfied. The smaller kids' mouths were covered with food (of course), but Inuyasha managed to look worse. BBQ sauce covered his mouth, his long nails and fingers, and some of it was flecked onto his previously pure white shirt. Kagome sighed in exasperation and she began to wipe him with a dampened napkin.

"I swear, I think I married a child…" she muttered, vigorously rubbing his mouth and chin.

The twins giggled at them, and then Satsu pulled on her mother's blouse.

"Mommy, will Daddy have to take a bath when we get home?"

"Oh, you got that right sweetheart." Kagome said, laughing. "A bubble bath. With the works."

Inuyasha started to look nervous. Sesshomaru, spotless unlike his brother, pulled out his wallet from his back pocket as he stood from the table.

"Where are you going, Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, looking at him.

"I'm getting the bill—"

"Whoa, hold on a minute _I'm_ getting the bill." Inuyasha interrupted him, also getting up from the table. "I won't have you throwing your money around in my face!"

Sesshomaru looked at him icily. D'Leh shivered; it amazed her how much dislike these two brothers had for each other. Then again…she had a similar relationship with her own father, but _unlike_ them, she hadn't seen hide nor hair of him since she was small.

"Inuyasha, he's just trying to be polite."

"Polite my fat as…! Sitting muscle." he said, correcting himself quickly when he gained a look from his wife. "_I'm_ the provider of my home. I can—HEY!"

Sesshomaru had walked off while he had been talking, and Inuyasha raced to catch up with him, yelling at the top of his lungs. Kagome held her head in her hands, sighing, and D'Leh covered her mouth, laughing.

"You sure have your work cut out for you Kagome." she said, smiling.

"Just wait 'til you get married." she told her, slapping her arm playfully. "Then you'll see who's going to be laughing."

D'Leh balked at such an idea. Her? Married? If she didn't know Kagome as well as she did she would've said she was drunk.

"Oh, I'm not getting married." D'Leh told her, shaking her head as she wiped up some crumbs on the table.

Kagome gave her a surprised look.

"Well, why not? You're a very pretty girl you know. Maybe if you got into some _real_ clothes…" she trailed off, watching her critically. "I think I'll take you shopping one of these days."

D'Leh scoffed gently.

"Don't roll your eyes, girl. With some makeup and maybe a little more jewelry…"

D'Leh blinked. *…Makeup?*

"Or maybe you're holding out for a certain someone?" Kagome asked, smiling knowingly.

"…What?"

"Don't play dumb. You know exactly who I'm talking about." Kagome said, watching her slyly.

She laughed when D'Leh started to turn crimson. Rin looked between them, slightly confused. Why was she turning red all of a sudden? She remembered her father had gotten that way one time when she asked where babies came from…

"Who, Aunt Kagome?" she asked innocently.

Kagome smiled.

"You'll know soon enough honey."

D'Leh blushed a deeper shade of red at what she was implying, and she busied herself by pulling at the loose threads on the ends of her shirt's sleeves. The younger children started to yawn and rubbed their heavy-lidded eyes, their full bellies making them sleepy. D'Leh placed an arm over her niece when she snuggled close to her, sticking her thumb into her mouth.

"Looks like it's about time to go home." Kagome said, tucking stray hairs behind two pairs of furry ears as the twins began to nod off.

"Yeah…ah, here they come."

Kagome turned to see Sesshomaru approaching them, walking serenely while stuffing his wallet into his back pocket. Her husband followed, practically steaming from the ears as he stomped behind him, and he was glaring at the back of his silver-maned head murderously. As they neared the table, Sesshomaru shared a quick look with her, and she glanced to her right soon after to see Kagome watching first him and then her, a smile slowly forming on her lips.

"Alright. Let's go." Inuyasha grounded out through clenched teeth, crossing his arms.

Rin pouted.

"Do we have to go now?" she whined, looking up at her father.

He nodded once, and he pulled her gently from the seat as she started to protest loudly. D'Leh followed, carrying a sleepy Ai in her arms.

"Here." Kagome said, handing her husband their milky-haired daughter.

He took her gently away from her, and she rested her head on his shoulder. Kagome slid out with her son in her arms, and the group of eight exited the small restaurant. They separated when they reached the parking lot: six to one car, two to the other. Before getting into the back seat of her father's black charger, Rin waved good bye to them. D'Leh waved back as Kagome and Inuyasha strapped the now dozing twins into their booster seats, and just as she was about to climb into the car she glanced up in time to see Sesshomaru giving her a nod and a small smile in farewell. She nodded her head in return, giving him a half-smile, and when Kagome finally clicked the seatbelt securely over her son D'Leh got in as well, managing to slip in between the twins' seats with a heavy three year old in her arms.

"So?" Kagome asked as she and Inuyasha settled in. "Enjoyed yourself?"

D'Leh nodded.

"Yeah. We had fun."

"Oh, we had fun alright…" Inuyasha grumbled, messing with his seat belt.

Kagome patted his shoulder and fixed it for him. D'Leh held back a laugh, mindful of the sleeping children beside her. Kagome glanced back at her and smiled, and D'Leh looked over to see Sesshomaru pulling out just as Inuyasha started the car. He backed out slowly and followed him out of the parking lot, then they separated, one going left and the other right.


	8. Chapter Seven

-8-

Consuelo's body shook with pain as she coughed yet again into her arm. She was lying across the couch, used tissues forming a small feathery mountain around her, and she groaned with a loud sniffle.

*Geh…it seems that my body is starting to catch up with my age…* she mused, taking a sip of her hot cup of tea which she then placed on the coffee table beside her.

The little cough she had acquired a few days ago had escalated into a full on fever, and her supervisor sent her immediately home, fearful for the children's health as well as her own. She sighed. She would've preferred staying, maybe checking up on the daycare's supplies, anything to bring in a little more money. She was behind on the bills this month, and the lighting was starting to get faulty…

*-sigh- I must stop worrying. When I'm worried, the children get worried, and that must not be…* she thought. Then she smiled. *At least they're out having some fun today though.*

She was happy her grands had a chance to go out and enjoy themselves. Their financial situation was often a handicap when it came to recreational activities, but they managed. She glanced up at the living room clock.

*They should be coming home soon…maybe I should—*

The phone suddenly rang, right by her head. She sat up slowly and answered it, leaning against the arm of the sofa.

"Hello?"

"Good afternoon. Mother."

Consuelo suddenly paled. That voice...

"…You…" she whispered.

The voice chuckled lightly.

"I'm glad to hear you're alive and well…How's my daughter doing?"

Consuelo's usually gentle face became a sudden mask of fury.

"You know _exactly_ how she's doing!" she snapped, face reddening.

"Now, now Mother. Don't excite yourself; you're not as young as you used to be…"

"How did you get this number?" she demanded, a bad feeling rising in the pit of her stomach.

He was silent for some time on the opposite end of the line. Consuelo shuddered; by nature D'Leh's father was unbelievingly dark and cruel, all of it hidden behind a kind and seemingly charming exterior. He was like a snake, hypnotizing you until he suddenly lashed out, dealing a lethal blow. Her hands tightened around the receiver. What her poor daughter (and her granddaughter for that matter) had to suffer while they lived with this man was astonishing.

"I want that little girl." he said finally, voice cold and unfeeling.

She raised her chin stubbornly.

"Over my dead—"

She suddenly fell into a small fit of coughs.

"By the way you're sounding, it won't be very long before I have her…"

"What do you want Fuhua?" she demanded again, almost pleading with him. "What do you want with my children?"

"…Goodbye Mother. I hope you get well soon."

"No, wai—"

The phone clicked. She stared at the receiver, dumbstruck, then she placed it slowly back onto the hook and sighed. Why did he call? How did he even get her number? It wasn't listed in the public directory…

*I'm frightened…what is he going to do?*

She heard a car coming up the driveway. She pushed herself off of the couch and peeked in between the blinds to see a white-haired, dog-eared man putting his car into park.

*That must be them…*

She wrapped her fuzzy sleeping robe tighter around her aching body, and she opened the front door.

* * *

After they had pulled into the driveway, Inuyasha got out from his seat to help D'Leh and her dozing niece from the back. She thanked him, and when she turned she was surprised to find that her grandmother was standing at the front door. She usually got off around 4:00…why was she home so early? She noted that she looked rather weary, more so than usual, and her nose was a bit red.

"Hey, D'Leh."

She turned back around and leaned over, keeping Ai's head in place with a firm hand.

"See you Monday after school, okay?" Kagome said, smiling.

D'Leh smiled back and nodded, and she moved over to let Inuyasha back into his seat. She then turned and walked up to her grandmother who was waving goodbye to them both as they pulled out of the driveway, and they watched them drive off.

"Hey Abuelita." D'Leh said, nearing her. "What are you doing here?"

"I seem to recall that I live here…" she mused, smiling at her playfully.

D'Leh rolled her eyes and gave her a look. Her grandmother ignored it and ushered them inside. Consuelo closed the door while her granddaughter went into her room to put Ai to bed, and she sighed. The reason why Fuhua had called her home was heavy on her mind, and the fact that she _didn't_ know that reason made it unsettling. What was that man up to…? She coughed again. D'Leh came down the stairs to find her grandmother hacking up a storm, and she frowned, deeply worried.

"Abuelita?" she said, nearing her.

"-cough- Yes? –coughcough-"

"…Want me to make you some more tea?" she asked, pointing to the kitchen.

"Yes, please. I have some already made, just warm it up –cough- in the microwave."

D'Leh nodded and hurried into the kitchen, the almost crinkling sound of her grandmother's cough frightening her. When she was done reheating the tea, she came back into the living room to find her grandmother resting on the couch, eyes closed and breathing heavily. She stopped, shocked to see how old and weak she looked…her eyes had slowly darkening circles beneath them, and she looked so unlike her regular, active self.

"Abuelita…your tea…" she murmured, jolting her awake.

"Ah, thank you D'Leh. I really needed this." she said gratefully, taking a small sip. "Come, sit. Tell me what happened this afternoon on your little outing."

D'Leh plopped down beside her and told her, cutting out a few key parts here and there. However, Consuelo keenly noticed that her granddaughter's cheeks colored a bit when she mentioned this brother-in-law of Kagome's, and she smiled.

*Ahhh. Young love…*

"Grandmamá?"

"Hm?"

"…Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes Child." she assured her, smiling. "Of course I'm alright. Don't worry about little old me."

D'Leh leaned her head on her shoulder and shrugged.

"…Can't help it."

Consuelo leaned her head on top of hers and patted her check tenderly.

"Don't worry…I'm not going anywhere." she whispered.

"…Ok…" she whispered quietly back, but she didn't feel very sure about her grandmother's improbable statement.

* * *

After closing the front door for what seemed like the _hundredth_ time, D'Leh carried the warm covered plate of food and a small brown paper bag of mint leaves into the kitchen. For the past three days people from her grandmother's place of work had been coming and going, some leaving plates of food and others asking on her health before they left. She sighed as she placed the heavy plate on the kitchen counter, piling one on top of another one to make space.

"At least we won't go hungry for a while…* she thought wryly, hurrying back to her grandmother's room.

She came back to find Ai still in bed with her grandmother, trying to read one of her many picture books to her. Consuelo had an arm around her, holding the wide book open while Ai turned its thick pages. She smiled. She was almost halfway through the tall pile of books on the nightstand beside her, and she was trying her hardest to read coherently (with some prodding from them both) to her great-grandmother. Both of them glanced up at her when she entered, and she climbed into the bed beside them.

"Who was at the door?"

"Some guy from your job. He had a nicely groomed goatee."

Her grandmother laughed.

"Oh, him."

D'Leh gave her a questioning look. Her grandmother simply patted her leg and turned back to her great-grandchild.

"Read on Niña—"

The doorbell suddenly rang. Again. D'Leh sighed heavily and got up, mumbling darkly to herself in Spanish, and she went to answer the door (AGAIN) while Ai continued reading. Not expecting anyone she knew personally, D'Leh hadn't changed out of her sleeping clothes (a rumpled, baggy white T-shirt and a pair of gray gym shorts) or even combed her hair for that matter. So, to say that she was a little shocked to find Sesshomaru and his daughter standing at her doorstep would've been the greatest understatement of the year. She gaped at the both of them in surprise, finding him (who was dressed rather sharply) staring her right in the face. She blushed in embarrassment when he raised an eyebrow after looking her up and down.

"…Hi." he said finally.

"…Hello—"

"Hiiiiii D'Leh!" Rin said happily, glomming her by the waist.

As before, she nearly lost her balance; when she righted herself she smiled down at the young girl grinning up at her brightly.

"Hey Rin."

Rin glanced behind her, searching the living room excitedly, then she knitted her brows together in confusion.

"Where's Ai?" she asked, releasing her.

"She's upstairs with my grandmother."

"…Can I go say hi to them?" she asked hesitantly.

"Sure. Her room's the first door on the left."

Rin ran off with a squeal and stomped up the stairs in minutes, yelling her niece's name at the top of her lungs. D'Leh glanced over to see Sesshomaru rubbing his temples, sighing as he did; she smiled.

"It's alright, they're already awake."

He grunted, then they were silent for a few seconds.

"…Do you want to come in?" she asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

D'Leh moved to the side and widened the door a bit to let him through. While she closed the door back, Sesshomaru walked into the middle of her living room, surveying her grandmother's apartment. It was small; VERY small, compared to his three-story flat downtown, and that was just one of many. The living room was comprised of an old but comfortable-looking couch, a worn coffee table with a glass top, a modest-sized TV (nothing too fancy of course) and an abundance of family photographs cluttered the wooden frame it was resting on. Had he been younger he would've called it a hovel, but it seemed anything but. It was…a humble (though poorly provided for) abode; comfortable…He liked it.

"Not to be rude or anything," D'Leh began, bringing him out of his thoughts. "but…why are you here?"

He turned to answer, but then he paused. Her appearance still shocked him a bit. He could tell she was a little embarrassed to be seen in such a manner, but to be honest it really wasn't _that_ bad. Sure, the shirt was pretty wrinkled but she looked comfortable in it, and it didn't hurt that he could spot some hidden curves underneath…plus, the bagginess left room for the imagination. Her hair was, of course, messy but it was messy in a wind swept, almost sexy kind of way. Her pants stopped right above her knees, and he never really noticed until now, but she _did_ have some rather nice legs…

*…I'm starting to sound like Belial…* he thought grimly, blinking as if the action would remove his thoughts about her body.

"…I got off early today, so Kagome asked me to check up on you. You didn't come to your session yesterday…she was getting rather worried."

"Oh…"she said quietly, pushing some of her curly, unkept hair behind her ear.

Sesshomaru had the sudden urge to run his fingers through it.

"Well, my grandmother was sick, so I stayed home."

He quirked an eyebrow.

"Don't you have school?"

She shrugged.

"I can afford to miss a couple days…" she murmured, looking away as she crossed her arms. "I can't go to school with my grandmother sick and alone at home, especially with a little kid."

Sesshomaru tried not stare as her chest bulged a little over her arms…

…**She's****got**_**quite**_**a****rack****— **

*Quiet.*

…**PFT. **

"Hm…"

He suddenly sniffed the air lightly, a mixture of spicy, meaty, and some sweet-smelling aromas bombarding his nose. D'Leh blinked, watching him. He reminded her somewhat of a dog…she thought back on his half-brother's strange doglike ears…maybe?

"What's that smell?" he asked quietly, walking to the kitchen.

"Just some food my grandmother's coworkers cooked for her." she told him, following.

She noted that his eyes widened a small fraction when he saw the amount of covered plates piled on top of the available counter space, and she smiled slightly.

"Have you eaten yet?" she asked.

He shook his head no, still staring.

"One of my grandmother's coworkers is from the Caribbean, and she brought some curried goat…want some? It's really good." she offered.

He glanced over at her quickly. Then he nodded his head yes. D'Leh smiled again and walked toward the crowded counter.

"Grab a chair and sit down." she said without looking back, taking a small warm Crockpot and a covered plate of yellow rice in her hands over to the smaller counter by the stove.

He did as she asked, taking a chair that faced the entrance of the kitchen. As she warned him about the spiciness of the meat he glanced over sharply, suddenly hearing small giggles from the living room. A pair of raven-haired heads ducked quickly behind the wall, and he frowned, eyes narrowing.

*…What is that girl up to?* he wondered, feeling a bit uneasy.

"Have you ever eaten goat before?" she asked, coming to the table with two plates of the golden-colored rice.

"No…only beef and venison unfortunately." he murmured, still staring at the living room. "The occasional rabbit."

"Huh. You're so deprived; goat meat is surprisingly good. Really good." she told him, turning back around to get the Crockpot and a ladle to pour its contents over the rice.

**Oh, ****he's ****deprived ****alright****… **

Sesshomaru ignored him (himself?); if he didn't reward him/ himself with a response, maybe he'd just go away…

**Not ****gonna ****work ****Sesshymo**

*Enough with the nickname Belial.* he warned, slightly annoyed with his presence.

**I ****love ****you, ****too.**

"Ok, here we are." D'Leh announced, bringing him out of his thoughts. "I don't know how much you want on your—"

"CHAAARRRGGGEEEEE!"

"…! Ri—!"

Too late. Rin and Ai tackled D'Leh to the ground and began tickling her mercilessly. D'Leh shrieked with laughter, swatting at their hands like mosquitoes, and tears started appearing in the corners of her eyes.

"No! hahaha, guys, stop it!" she begged in between laughs, squirming away from them. "Uncle, uncle!"

"Will you let us do your hair?" Rin asked sweetly.

"Yes!"

"You sure?"

"Yes, yes just stop!"

"Ok!" she chirped brightly.

The tickling ceased; D'Leh was able to breathe again. Ai and Rin pushed themselves off of her and stood to their feet.

"Come on Ai, let's—"

"_Rin_."

Rin jumped at the sound of her father's voice, then she gulped.

"Yes Daddy?" she said, looking up at him innocently.

Ai and her aunt looked also, and she struggled to stifle a laugh: covering his entire torso (as well as his face and hands) were the contents of the Crockpot, the curried goat meat. A large brown stain was spreading on his previously clean white dress shirt. Brown sauce dripped from his elegantly long fingers, and some of it had even splattered his chin and set jaw. D'Leh bit her lip to keep herself from laughing out loud.

"Rin…" he said quietly.

Rin smiled up at him brightly. He watched his beaming daughter, eyebrow twitching madly. Then his shoulders suddenly sagged and he heaved a heavy sigh.

"Just…never mind." he said tiredly.

Rin's bright smile widened into a foolish grin, then she grabbed Ai's hand and the both of them ran off, giggling. D'Leh got to her feet, and after watching him for a minute as goat curry dripped from him onto the kitchen floor, she handed him a small rag hanging on the handle of the refrigerator door, wetting it before she did. Thanking her, he took it from her, and she watched him yet again as he rubbed uselessly at the large stain.

"We have a bathroom down the hall…" she trailed off.

He shook his head.

"I don't want to ruin it, and I apologize for what my daughter just did to you."

D'Leh snorted.

"You do realize we have a three year old in this house?"

He gave her a small smirk, then he looked down and her eyes widened when he started to unbutton his shirt…

"Do you have a spare T-shirt I can borrow?" he asked, pulling the tucked ends out of his pants.

"…Uh-huh." she said quickly, trying not to stare. "U-uhm…what size do you wear?"

He shrugged his bare shoulders as he peeled off his sleeves.

"Large is fine. I'll be in your bathroom."

He walked off, leaving her a bit stunned at seeing his (dare she think it) godly, nicely toned pecs. Then she shook her head and walked toward her bedroom.

*Shirt…must find shirt—*

DIING DOONG

"Dammit…" she muttered, turning and going back to the door.

When she opened it D'Leh was shocked a second time to see another very _unwanted_ visitor at her doorstep, and every curse word imaginable raced through her mind.

"Heeeeeey! What's up, DeeDee?" Melantho chirped, flipping her long freshly done hair over her shoulder.

D'Leh's stomach dropped all the way to the floor. What was _she_ of all people doing here?

*F***! F***f***f***f***f***!*

She stared at her coldly, and her look hardened when she saw Yoko and Yuki cowering behind her. That fight a couple weeks ago was still fresh in their empty little minds, including Melantho's, and they seemed a little wary of upsetting her a second time. Time had allowed Melantho's bruises to heal completely, and it looked like she must've gotten yet another nose job.

"How _are_ you?" she asked, tilting her head to the side with a look of mocking concern on her pretty little face.

"…What are you doing here." D'Leh stated blandly.

Melantho smiled slowly, and she gave her a quick look over.

"I just…wanted to see how you were doing."

D'Leh rolled her eyes and started to close the door in her face, but Melantho's hand suddenly shot out and she barricaded the bottom with her foot.

"How can you be so rude!" she huffed, pouting. "I'm only trying to be nice."

"Yeah D'Leh…just being nice." Yoko repeated, looking a little frightened.

*Ch. Yeah, right. Like I'll believe that…* she thought, staring at her blankly. Then she looked back at their leader.

"What do you want, Melantho?"

"…I just wanted to tell you that some of the teachers have been asking about you, is all." she told her, trying to look past her.

"And? Is that all?"

Melantho's eyes, eyes that would make any man weak-kneed, snapped back to her and she smiled again at her sweetly.

"Not really…tell me something, have you already purchased your ticket for the dance?"

D'Leh's eyes narrowed at her seemingly innocent question.

"No…why?"

Melantho shrugged.

"Just wondering…" she mumbled, rubbing a small invisible stain on her VERY revealing blouse. "You should hurry and purchase one you know; just about everyone is going. If you can't afford it I can buy one for you, no strings attached."

D'Leh's eyes flashed angrily, but her face remained absolutely calm. Yeah, she probably wasn't rich like her but she wasn't so poor that she couldn't afford a stupid dance ticket. Plus, she didn't like dances; the music was always too loud, the kids too wild, and the thought of rubbing herself up against some boy (and who knows what else) was not to her liking. NOT AT ALL. Besides, something was _very_very wrong. Why was she acting so…civil?

"…No, thanks. I don't really like dancing." she said quietly, eyeing her warily. "Why the sudden interest in me being there?"

"Just being neighborly." Yoko said quickly, looking nervous.

D'Leh's eye twitched. "Neighborly"? They lived way across town, nearly two and a half miles. She was starting to wonder if she had mixed up her personality with her friend's…Melantho's seemingly kind expression darkened for a second, then it suddenly brightened and she gently patted her friend's shoulder; Yoko gulped, loud enough for her to hear.

"Ha. Exactly." Melantho assured her, still smiling. "Speaking of being neighborly, I haven't been treating you fairly Dee—I mean, D'Leh; sometimes I wonder if I make you…insecure."

D'Leh would've snorted had it not been for the (I kid you not) genuine look of sadness and regret that suddenly clouded her face. She blinked, stunned.

*"Genuine" and "Melantho"…* she mused. *Huh. _Quite_ the oxymoron.*

Had she paid a little more attention, she would've noticed the small triumphant smirk that had graced her gloss covered lips.

"I hope my behavior hasn't discouraged you from finding yourself a date…" she murmured, eyebrows coming together as she spotted a small, hardly visible black mark on her shoes. "Oh! Speaking of which…"

D'Leh started to sweat. Melantho noticed, and she brightened at the discovery.

"Uhm—"

"You _still_ don't have one?" Melantho asked, eyes now wide with shock.

Yoko and Yuki giggled quietly behind her.

"…Well I—"

"Come on! You're a girl for crying out loud." Yuki exclaimed, aghast.

"Yeah, use some of that natural feminine grace you were born with…supposedly…" Yoko chimed in, muttering the last part to her friends.

"W-well, I…look, I don't have to—"

"Why so flustered?" Melantho kindly asked, smiling at her cruelly.

"I'm not—"

"Oh. My. God…" she murmured, gasping. "I just realized something."

"What? What?" Yuki asked her.

Melantho turned and whispered something to them both. When they pulled back their expressions were a mixture of gleeful disgust; D'Leh had the sudden urge to slam the door in their faces and stomp all the way up to her room, but she didn't. She knew better than to run. Running meant she was hiding something, and she didn't want Melantho and her cronies to shoot off at the mouth about her at school. She knew she was going to have to force herself to become the butt of their sick, ugly, inside little joke, and she didn't like it; not one bit.

While they were conferring with one another Sesshomaru had exited the small bathroom in search for his promised T-shirt only to walk upon this less than pleasant exchange of words between them. He frowned in displeasure. He could smell the stench of mortified embarrassment rolling off of her, and he could tell by the way her fingers tightened on the knob of the door (and by the visible stiffness of her shoulders) that she was becoming a little angry at their tittering. He could understand now why D'Leh would end up fist fighting continually at school; with such an obnoxious group of girls, it was hard to imagine her n_ot_ punching one of them in the face.

"What are you laughing at." D'Leh bit out, teeth clenched.

"Haha. Haa." Melantho sighed, wiping a tear from her eye. "Oh, don't worry D'Leh, we won't tell anybody anything."

She blinked at her, slightly confused.

"…What?"

"Oh you know. Your little "male" problem. Don't worry." she told her, smiling. "As long as you find a girl that loves you for who you are, what should it matter what other people think?"

D'Leh suddenly went rigid, and her face paled in anger.

"…Are you trying to imply that I'm—"

Melantho shushed her loudly as if everyone within hearing distance would know of her...sexual preference. Her friends, meanwhile, tried to hold back their laughter and they let loose an occasional snort or snicker. Sesshomaru started to feel sorry for her, and he marveled at how she could endure going through with this kind of humiliation. He started to grow angry as well, so angry in fact that he decided to do the unthinkable; he took a deep breath.

*…Belial…*

**Yessssssssssssssssssssssssss!**

*…Don't over—*

**Yeah, ****yeah. ****Let's ****do ****this ****thing.**

D'Leh was absolutely oblivious of this short, mutual agreement between Sesshomaru and his other half; while he approached her from behind, D'Leh's grip on the knob of her door tightened even more as she tried to suppress her growing fury.

"I think it's about time you left." she quietly told her.

"Hummm…" Melantho murmured, tapping her chin thoughtfully. "Why should I? I see no reason to leave. I'm having so much fun."

Her cronies giggled yet again. If she had been Youkai, or even part Youkai for that matter, she swore her doorknob would've splintered into a million tiny fragments as if it were made of glass.

"_Get_—"

"What's going on?" a deep voice murmured.

D'Leh jumped. Melantho's furiously aggravating look fell like an anvil and was replaced with one of absolute shock; her friends gaped openly at who stood behind her in wonder, their mouths hanging open like hatches. She turned her head slowly to her right, only to see Sesshomaru leaning against her door frame on his right shoulder. His arms were crossed over his blatantly bare, muscular chest, and she blushed lightly remembering that she _still_ hadn't brought him a shirt. He was watching the three of them, completely aloof, then he glanced over at her sharply and smirked. She shivered. He seemed…altered somehow…he was still the same, but at the same time completely different.

"…Sesshomaru?" she said quietly.

"Who are they?" he silkily asked, motioning his chin to the three crimson-faced girls.

"Uhhh…just, you know. Some friends." she said nervously.

He stared at her coolly. D'Leh began to feel a little uncomfortable, both by his strange behavior and by the thought that he had probably heard _everything_.

"…'Friends.'" he repeated, unconvinced.

She hesitated a second before nodding. He smirked at her again, then he grabbed her suddenly by the waist and pulled her roughly toward him to whisper something in her ear. The three onlookers' level of shock heightened, and D'Leh blushed madly in embarrassment.

"You're lying." he said quietly, sounding a little amused. "You would do well not to lie to me…"

She gasped, feeling his lips lightly brush her ear.

"Wha—what are you—?"

He nibbled it playfully, shocking her _immensely_, then he pulled back to reveal her frazzled (if not frightened) expression to Melantho and her speechless friends. It was believed that something…unconventional had been said between the two of them. He turned his beautiful eyes onto Melantho, making _her_ of all people blush even more, and he raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

"So…" he said, looking her up and down. "'Friend', is it?"

She nodded, knees feeling weak.

"Hm. Well, you'll have to excuse us." he said, stepping back as he pushed D'Leh gently behind him. "Your friend and I have some…business to attend to."

"O-ok." she mumbled, still staring.

Her followers shared a look. Never had they ever seen her so affected by a male. It was a bit disconcerting. Sesshomaru started to shut the door, but before completely closing it he gave her a small, almost sultry-looking smile.

"Good day."

"…Bye." she whispered, giving him a small wave.

He gave her a wink, then he slammed it shut in their ridiculous faces.

"…Melantho?" Yoko asked, watching her worriedly as she turned and walked past them in a daze.

"What…just happened?" Yuki asked, looking from one to the other. "Weren't we supposed to—"

"Oh Yuki!" Melantho squealed, suddenly lively. "I've finally met my match, my man, my future lover!"

"Well, by what he just did a few minutes ago, I think he may already have one…" Yoko mumbled. "Looks like our plan has been compromised guys."

Melantho's giddiness suddenly turned into pure malice, and she whirled on them angrily. Yoko and Yuki yelped and cowered at her ugly expression.

"He. _Will_. Be. Mine!" she bit out, jabbing a manicured finger in her frightened pudgy face. "I am the most popular, most beautiful, most sought after girl at school; D'Leh is _nothing_ compared to me!"

"Yes Melantho." both whimpered in unison.

"We belong together; of course we do. D'Leh is plain and crude, a poor little church mouse. What can she possibly offer him that I can't?" she huffed, flipping her hair.

Her friends smartly remained silent. Sighing, Melantho slowly calmed down after her little outburst, and her face returned to its usual, light-tan complexion.

"Come on girls. I have shopping to do."

* * *

Meanwhile, back at her grandmother's apartment, D'Leh and Sesshomaru stood in an awkward deafening silence. She couldn't believe what had just happened…did Sesshomaru seriously just _do_ that? She was staring at the back of his head as she was thinking this to herself, and she leaned her own slowly to the side, slightly curious. He had his forehead and the palms of his hands pressed up against her door, and he dug his nails into the chipped wood (adding more marks to its collection) with his brows knitted together in what looked to be pain and deep concentration. She reached out hesitantly and placed a hand on his trembling shoulder, and when he abruptly turned his head to look at her she took a small quick step back in surprise: the whites of his eyes were a bloody red, and his golden pupils were now shrunken into small greenish dots.

"What—"

"I'm sorry." he said quickly, closing his eyes and shaking his head. "I shouldn't have done that…"

"I, I'm not—"

"Daddy?"

Both of them looked in the direction where Rin's voice had come from. She was watching them quizzically, and Ai (who was standing beside her) did likewise.

"Rin…" he said quietly.

"Daddy, why are you naked." she demanded sternly, placing her hands on her hips. D'Leh looked away and bit her lip, trying to hide a smile. This kid was just too cute.

"Rin, we're leaving."

She pouted.

"Can't we stay five more minutes?" she pleaded. "Pleeeaaasssee?"

"Yeah, please?" Ai added, both of them giving him the look.

"No Rin. D'Leh's grandmother needs to rest; we'll just be an interruption. Besides, you have homework."

"Let me, uhm, get you that shirt." D'Leh muttered, hurrying up the stairs to her room.

He paused before following after her, keen on leaving as soon as possible, but (though he'd never admit it) he was a little curious of what kind of room she slept in. He came up the stairs to find a door, hers, wide open. He neared it and took in the large amount of papers on her desk and the numerous paintings, sketches, and pictures, one being a very large photo of who he assumed was her mother at his right. He approached it, trying to get a better look of the sadly deceased woman.

Her hair, like her daughter's, hung down past her shoulders, and her eyes were a dark creamy brown. They looked kind and gentle, full of so much care and love, and her mouth, one that looked suited and well-used to laughter, was fixed in a small, lighthearted smile. He saw a lot of her in her daughter, mainly when she was with little Ai. She was beautiful, and he had no doubt that D'Leh, should she become a little more acquainted with her feminine side, would turn out just like her.

*She'll make one lucky someone a beautiful wife…* he mused, then he glanced up at the artfully painted ceiling. *and a very talented one at that.*

**Play ****your ****cards ****right, ****and **_**you'll **_**be ****that ****lucky ****someone.**

*I already told you Belial, I'm not going to get involved. And didn't I tell you not to overdo it?*

…**Maybe****… **

*…*

**What? ****I ****couldn't ****stop ****myself****…****yourself****…****whatever!**

*Belial.*

…**She ****smelled ****nice?**

*It's official; you're _much_ worse than Rin.*

**Wha****—****hey, ****come ****on! ****That's ****not ****fair****—****!**

"Sesshomaru?"

He turned to see the subject of their debate-like discussion coming up behind him, a baggy gray sweater in her hand. He blinked, and she blushed lightly after taking a quick look around her not so very clean room. She handed him the sweater, looking embarrassed.

"Here. Sorry it's the only thing I have that's clean right now."

"No matter, its fine." he said, taking it from her.

She turned around and walked hurriedly toward the stairs, and again he followed as he slipped the sweater over his head. They came downstairs to find Rin and Ai whispering to one another. They immediately stopped at their arrival, something which disconcerted them both. They shared a glance.

"Alright Rin, let's go."

Rin pouted again as he led her by the hand toward the door, and she said and waved her goodbyes to them both as they exited the tiny apartment. D'Leh was a little unhappy to find that Sesshomaru wanted nothing more than to leave, and she was surprised to admit that it hurt…just a little. She brushed the feeling off, trying not to dwell on it, and she looked down at the young three year old standing beside her.

"Come on Chivo; let's finish our reading."

Ai scampered off, scurrying up the stairs to her grandmother's room, and after watching Sesshomaru's car back out of the driveway and race off, she slowly closed the door and followed up after her.

* * *

D'Leh leaned against the back of the RTS stone bench, back slumped and expression bland as she stared up at the brick overhang. Today was Friday (thank God!), and she had just finished a long-awaited session with Kagome. When she had arrived at her office, Kagome practically pounced on her, asking her multiple questions and worrying over her like a mother hen. She smiled at the remembrance of her unforgettable expressions, but then it faltered. Sesshomaru's name had been mentioned during their short hour together, and she felt a little saddened. It had been three days since she had last spoken to him, and today she hadn't see him anywhere.

*Maybe he's avoiding me...*

She _still_ couldn't get over his practically fleeing from her house, and deep down she guessed she kind of understood why…or not. She snorted loudly to herself.

*What am I getting all worked up about? It's not like he dumped me or anything…we'd have to be dating in the first place for me to be feeling this way…*

At that very moment, as she was mulling these somewhat hurtful but true statements to herself, Sesshomaru walked out of the hospital doors and spotted her in her undignified, lazy and very laid-back position. He raised an eyebrow at her terrible posture. She was again in boyish clothes: a T-shirt under a gray hooded baggy sweater, brown long-legged cargoes and, of course, sneakers. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun-type ponytail with tendrils of hair hanging down by her nape and forehead. He presumed she was waiting for the city bus again, but it was five minutes after 3:30…she'd have to wait a LONG while before it came back…He stuffed his hands into his pockets, and (after a little debating) finally approached her. D'Leh, meanwhile, leaned forward and glanced down the street, hoping to catch a glimpse of the bus, and she turned her head when she felt a tall shadow pass over her. Her eyebrows shot upwards in surprise; there was Sesshomaru, standing at her right…she wasn't expecting to see him, and not so soon either.

"…'Sup." she said, after an awkward silence.

The corner of his mouth twitched once.

"'Sup." he said, giving her the classical chin jerk.

She looked down at her shoes, hiding a smile as she scuffed at the pavement with her foot, then she glanced back up at him a couple times.

"What, what are you doing off so early?" she asked.

He leaned against the metal pole standing beside the bench and crossed his arms.

"My work day has been extended." he quietly told her, staring across the street. "Apparently there are too many patients dying from a lack of experienced doctors; the hospital requires my services in order to minimize suits against the foolish ones."

"So, your usually on your way _to_ work around this time?"

He turned his eyes toward hers.

"Supposedly, but as of this morning my required hours have been shifted up a couple."

D'Leh chuckled once softly, looking down again, and they were quiet for a few minutes. Sesshomaru took it upon himself to break the awkward silence.

"You've…already seen Kagome?"

D'Leh nodded.

"And now you're just going to wait for the bus." he stated.

She nodded again.

"For an hour? By yourself?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She shrugged and glanced back down the street again.

"…I can take you home if you like."

She glanced back at him abruptly, a little shocked by his offer. Then she looked back down, tucking stray hairs behind her ear.

"…Uhm…no, I don't want to trouble you." she murmured.

"Have you already forgotten what happened earlier this week?" he asked, smirking slightly.

She looked off to the side. Yeah, she _so_ remembered what happened…Sesshomaru smiled down at her and he pushed himself off of the metal pole.

"Come. My car's this way."

D'Leh paused a second before looking back down the street a third time, then she glanced up at him and, deciding to hell with waiting, grabbed her backpack before following him. He led her to the parking lot on the left side of the hospital building. His car was parked right by the sidewalk; a small sign marked "Legal Advisor" stood in front of it, and she slowed as they approached. She couldn't believe she had never noticed before, but his car was _really_ nice. It was a sporty dodge charger, black, sleek, and fairly new. Sesshomaru glanced back at her as he pulled out his keys, and he smiled to himself, unlocking the front door. Such a look of admiration and wonder was rarely seen from his ex-girlfriend; since the feudal era, she had been accustomed to such luxuries. As time went on she became gradually colder and just plain rude; nothing like her old, spirited self.

*…"Spitfire"…ha.* he thought wryly.

"The door's open." he told her, climbing inside.

D'Leh stepped forward and opened it. The front passenger seat, however, was occupied by a briefcase and a laptop carrier, and Sesshomaru (when he noticed) threw them carelessly to the back. He glanced at her and shrugged his shoulders when, climbing in, she gave him a look; she turned to the window, smiling as she shook her head. He turned the key and, changing gears, he backed out of the parking lot. As he drove they were silent again for some time, both occasionally glancing over at the other. Sesshomaru sensed, then and now, that he must've bothered her when he had left her house in such a hurry on Tuesday and (no matter how slight the offense) he had to assure her that her actions (or even herself for that matter) were not the cause.

"…D'Leh."

As fascinating though the asphalt was to her, she forced herself to turn her head away from the window.

"Yes?"

He glanced over at her quickly before continuing.

"…About what happened." he began.

D'Leh colored yet again at the remembrance, and she willed herself to stop her incessant blushing.

"If my hasty departure gave you any feelings of confusion, I assure you the deed was unintended."

D'Leh blinked. Had her slight (ha!) disappointment been _that_ apparent? Good lord…

"Uh…thanks." she said quietly. "But to be honest, you really don't have anything to apologize for."

He glanced over at her sharply.

"Oh?" he said, raising an eyebrow.

She scoffed gently, almost laughingly.

"Yeah. My, uh, 'friend' has been nagging me about you for _days_, and you pretty much dashed her hopes of spreading any rumors about me with…that."

Sesshomaru chuckled, turning a corner.

"Well I'm glad I've been of some use."

"Yeah…" she murmured, suddenly distracted. "…You know...Kagome says I don't have to keep coming to the sessions..."

He could tell there was something more that she wanted to say.

"But?" he prodded.

"Well...I don't know. It's kind of stupid really, but Kagome's the only person I can really talk to about stuff." she told him, looking down as she fiddled with the zipper of her jacket. "I know these sessions are costing my grandmother a lot on her part, but..."

"You can't talk to _me_?" he asked, sounding hurt.

She stared at him, blinking, the question catching her off guard.

"U-uh, well yeah but, your not a girl...I mean-!"

"Or, maybe it's because you're confessing your undying love for me."

She gaped, her face warming up by the second. She opened her mouth to say something, but of its own accord it decided to go mute.

He chuckled quietly.

"I'm only teasing." he told her, smirking

She sucked her teeth in annoyance and turned back to the window with a sigh of exasperation.

"Jerk..." she murmured, crossing her arms.

Sesshomaru smiled.

**Oh ****yeah. ****She ****sooooo ****digs ****you.**

*…Shut up.*

About eight minutes later, her grandmother's house finally came into view. When they neared it, however, D'Leh sat forward, frowning. There was an unknown car, a red Prius, parked in her grandmother's driveway. She didn't know anyone with that kind of car, and she was sure neither did her grandmother…Sesshomaru parked his car beside it, and he noticed her heavily puzzled look when he turned off the ignition.

"Is everything alright?" he asked.

Her eyebrows knitted together in response, and her lips became a thin line. She opened the door and ran toward the doorstep, pausing in front of the red car before reaching it. He followed, feeling her uneasiness, and he in turn began to feel troubled. He couldn't sense anything out of the ordinary... D'Leh pulled out her copy of the house keys and frantically unlocked the door, and when she opened it she was shocked to find Ai all alone on the living room floor, coloring with the TV on in front of her. Ai looked up when the door opened, and she grinned widely before running up to her and hugging her knees.

"Hi D'Leh! Hi Sesshmo!"

"…Ai? Ai, how did you—"

"My, my. Haven't you grown..."

She looked up abruptly at the foreign voice, and she grabbed Ai's shoulder protectively when she saw the figure of a man sitting in one of her grandmother's arm chairs.

"Who the hell are you?"

"Now, now Deana. Such language should never be uttered from a lady's mouth."

D'Leh's eyes narrowed, and she tightened her hold on her puzzled niece. At that very moment, Sesshomaru had come up behind her, and the man's silver eyes glanced from him, to her, and then back again.

"And who, may I ask, is this?"

"I asked you first asshole."

The man chuckled wryly and stood elegantly to his feet, then he stepped out of the shadows. The man was pale-skinned with raven black hair that stopped at his lower back, striped through with dark blue streaks. He was dressed in an open-collared, violet-colored shirt and black dress pants, and his ears were similar to Sesshomaru's: elflike and pointy. All in all, he was handsome and he had the appearance of obvious charm, but somehow D'Leh knew that this was not the case. Not at all.

"So…" he said, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "You really don't remember me my Love?"

"I'm not your 'Love', ok? Now tell me why the hell you're in my house."

"I thought this was your grandmother's house…" he mused, playfully smirking.

"I'd advise you to answer the question, Sir." Sesshomaru warned him coldly.

"Well…if you insist. To be point blank, I'm Ai's rightful guardian."

D'Leh's eyes slowly widened. Of course...that face... How could she not of known? He smirked at the action, and Sesshomaru watched her with a high degree of concern.

"Who is this D'Leh?" he asked her quietly.

D'Leh let out a shuddering breath, and her expression suddenly became calm…that was not a good sign…

"Sesshomaru." she said, watching the man with a bland look in her eyes. "I'd like you to meet my father: Fuhua Chen…"


	9. Chapter Eight

-9-

Sesshomaru looked sharply back at the man standing before them. This stranger? Her _father_? Now that he had a chance to see them together, he noticed that both he and D'Leh _did_ share some (if not any) characteristics: the strange-colored eyes (though not in the same color), the similar shape of the mouth and the chiseled features, but hers were softer and (of course) much more feminine than his. D'Leh's eerily calm expression was fixated on him, and Ai, confused and a little frightened by her behavior, tugged repeatedly on the end of her shirt to get her attention. Her gaze, however, never wavered from her father's smug face.

"…Aunty?" she whispered, almost whimpering.

"Ai. Go to your room." she told her quietly, pushing her toward the staircase.

Ai looked from her, to the man, and then back again.

"But—"

"It's alright. Go on."

Ai reluctantly left D'Leh's side and slowly ascended the stairs, looking back at them occasionally. As soon as she reached the top floor, her aunt's eyes snapped back to her father's cool gaze. He too had been staring, watching as she gradually went up the stairs, and D'Leh clenched her teeth; she didn't like the way he stared at her baby girl…

"You know Deana…" he said thoughtfully, now watching his daughter. "She looks…almost like you. Practically identic—"

"What are you doing here?" she interrupted him, voice quiet but full of rage. "You ignore her existence for, what, a year? And _now_ you're suddenly interested?"

Fuhua's eyes stared into her flashing ones as she spoke, and when she had finished he looked away with a slight smile. D'Leh tightened her grip on the strap of her backpack.

"Deana—"

"My name is 'D'Leh', bastard. Use it." she snapped, glaring.

His eyes narrowed. He looked a little annoyed at her obviously disrespectful tone, and a small vein was pulsating like a miniature boom box beneath the pale skin of his forehead. She smiled slightly, just to annoy him further, and he tried (in vain) to regain his aloof composure.

"…D'Leh." he bit out, trying to sound calm. "Don't you think it would be _better_ if she came to live with me?"

D'Leh gave him a look that said "_Hell_ to the no." Then she looked him up and down before cocking her head to the side.

"In what way, Daddy?" she asked innocently. "With your...other women, your constant drinking? Huh? Your obvious disdain for anyone except yourself? I got a very long list; wanna hear it?"

Sesshomaru could tell that she had hit a nerve with her all too true accusations. Her father's face was slowly losing its calm, and it became even harder and uglier with her next statement.

"Hey! I know! How about smacking her around?" she told him, sounding cheerful. "You _really_ seemed to enjoy doing that one when you were living with us, huh?"

Sesshomaru watched her sharply as she said this. He beat them? The amount of disgust he felt for this man was increasing by the moment. He could tell that her bitterness was coming from an old, blistering wound. She had trusted and loved him, her father, and he repaid it with obvious abuse and neglectfulness...His relationship with his own father had been far from perfect, but never had he questioned his care and loyalty to his family.

"Or, wait…now that I think about it, how about—"

"Enough!" he suddenly roared, furious. "You have _no_ right to speak to me in this manner. I am your father; You _will_ obey me!"

D'Leh scoffed disbelievingly.

"Let me get this straight; you want _me_ to obey _you_? Who's gonna make me?" she asked, laughing. "_You_? You _left_ us, remember? I don't have to listen to you."

Fuhua glared at her as she spoke, absolutely livid.

"What? You think you can just weasel back into the circle? Just like that?" she asked him, incredulous. Then she laughed once wryly. "No. Hell no…"

"Listen Girl," he growled. "I gave you everything you ever needed; a home, food, the clothes on _your_ back as well as your mother's. I gave you _life_; it's only fair that you give me obedience in return."

"Uh-huh...I'll get back to you on that Papí."

A muscle twitched alongside his jaw. Sesshomaru smiled.

"D'Leh." he said, again trying to reason with her. "_I_ am the head of a prosperous company; I make more money in one day than you and your grandmother will ever make in an entire year. How can you possibly give her a good quality life in this pisshole? _Especially_ when your grandmother's passed on—"

"Get out." D'Leh hissed. "Just...get out!"

Fuhua smirked; Sesshomaru sensed something was going to happen, and he gently (and slowly) placed a hand on her shoulder to keep her calm.

"You know I'm right. Don't you?"

"Go to f***ing Hell." she muttered.

Her father shook his head, clucking his tongue.

"Such language Deana. Your mother would not have been pleased with your behavior. I know _I'm_ not."

D'Leh's entire body stilled. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed when his smirk widened a fraction, visible only to him.

"D'Leh...I will make this very clear." he said kindly, approaching them. "If you will not hand over custody of _my_ granddaughter like a good little girl, I will be forced to take this to court. And be warned: I have friends in _very_ high places. If you defy me you. _Will_. Lose."

Sesshomaru felt a small shudder of fear travel through her entire body. His gaze hardened. Her father now stood less than a foot away from them, and he leaned his head to the side as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his dressy pants, looking thoughtful.

"...You look so much like her..." he murmured, sounding sad almost. "Such a shame. We had always wished for a boy you know."

D'Leh snarled as she lunged at him, but Sesshomaru caught her in time and held her back. She struggled to be released, a look of pure hatred burning in her eyes and he was a little shocked by the magnitude of her strength, though minimal compared to his own. He turned her away when she tried to kick out at him, wanting nothing more than to break his skull into tiny little pieces. Fuhua bowed to them both and left, smiling as he slammed the door roughly behind him. D'Leh's struggling lessened after he left, and then it stopped completely when she heard his car starting outside. He released his grip and her hands hung limply at her sides. Her shoulders sagged. Her head was down. She looked...defeated.

"...D'Leh?" he said quietly.

She didn't answer him.

"D'Leh." he repeated.

"Why?" she whispered, so quietly that even he could hardly hear her. "Why is he _doing_ this? Why is he even here? Why?"

She sounded as if she was about to cry. He led her over to the couch and they both sat down. He watched her sit there, unmoving, for some time; her head was still bowed, and she had leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees, covering her face with her hands. He placed his arm gently around her and she immediately turned toward him, leaning her head onto his shoulder.

"It'll be alright." he reassured her, massaging her arm.

"No. It won't." she retorted, voice muffled.

"Yes it wi—"

"It won't!" she suddenly yelled, sitting up. "He's _always_ been like this, just...ruining everything; my happiness, my mother's happiness...everything! Now he's doing it all over again."

"D'Leh—"

She turned away from him and crossed her arms, a sign he took as her refusal to listen. But, instead of heeding her wishes he simply ignored them and turned her chin to face him.

"_Listen_ to me." he said sternly, looking her in the eye. "It will be fine; don't worry."

She looked away again, this time only moving her eyes, still not very sure, and he gently cupped her cheek.

"You trust me?"

She looked back and gradually gave him a small smile.

"Yeah...I trust you."

He smiled back in return and he caught her off guard when he kissed her quickly on the forehead. When he pulled back he was watching her strangely, eyes glazed over as if mesmerized, and she blinked in confusion. His hand was still cupping the left side of her face, and now he was slowly rubbing his thumb back and forth over her skin. It felt...kind of nice. Her heart pounded louder and louder as he leaned forward, hesitantly at first, then she _really_ began to panic when he brushed his lips gently over hers.

*W-what is he doing?*

Her eyes popped out in surprise when, growling gently, he fully captured her lips.

*...This can't be happening; this _cannot_ be happening!*

Unfortunately, it was. Sesshomaru now had his entire body over her own, laying her flat on the couch, and what had previously been an innocent, gentle peck on the temple was now and quickly approaching a very passionate, rough French kiss. Her first.

She should've been fighting back: hitting him, pounding his chest, _biting_ him...well, maybe not that..._anything_ to get him off. She had always thought of herself as a fighter if something like this ever happened...well, if she had _allowed_ it to happen. But she was a little surprised to find that she didn't really want to. Something else surprised her even more: she was _enjoying_ it. By this point Sesshomaru was already straddling her, and he had maneuvered her legs around him by using the pointed nails of his hand like spurs (which, by the way, was now feeling up her butt cheek, a key reason why she wore baggy pants...).

*So much for that idea.* she thought.

D'Leh let loose a quiet moan when he started to suck hungrily at her neck, and the sound nearly drove his inner beast into frenzy. He moved back to her lips, shoving his mouth not-so-gently onto hers, and he ran his hand along her leg, tugging here and there. It was a mystery what more he would've done (if given the time) because at that very moment there was a loud banging on the front door. Sesshomaru broke the kiss and, both of them panting, stared down at her as if awakening from a dream. His eyes slowly widened (both of theirs, actually). Realizing their current...position, he scrambled off of her.

She sat up slowly, inching away from him, and he did likewise. He opened his mouth to say something, but the frantic pounding on the door interrupted him. She gave him a quick look before getting up to answer the door, and she opened it to find a frightened, very pale Consuelo standing on the doorstep. Her weary expression immediately cleared when she saw her; she rushed forward and drew her into a tight hug, close to weeping.

"Oh, D'Leh!" she cried. "You don't know how glad I am to see you. Ai has disappeared! Someone at the Daycare said a man came and..."

She went silent when she noticed the empty look that had suddenly appeared on her face. She moved her hands to her shoulders and sighed.

"He was here. Wasn't he." she murmured, understanding.

D'Leh looked off to the side and crossed her arms. Consuelo made a small, sad smile and pulled her into another warm, comforting hug. Meanwhile, Sesshomaru remained where he had been sitting, holding his head and gripping at his hair in frustration. As he sat there, cursing loudly to himself, Sesshomaru's ears pricked when he had heard the front door open. He had kept his head bowed, not wanting to look up, but when he finally did he glanced up to see D'Leh in the embrace of a familiar, somewhat aged woman. He raised his head fully and silently watched the two of them.

The mixture of emotions that surrounded them both was hard to explain; it felt like...like the calm before a rising storm...He supposed that analogy was very correct. He stood slowly to his feet when the two of them pulled apart, and the woman did a double-take when she glanced over and spotted him in the middle of her living room. D'Leh turned to see what had gotten her grandmother's attention, then she looked quickly away while moving to close and lock back the door.

"D'Leh?" she said quietly, still staring as she reached for her sleeve. "Why is there a grown man standing in my living room?"

"This is, uhm, Kagome's Brother-in-law." she whispered quietly back, avoiding his eyes. "You know. The one I told you I met over the weekend?"

"Wha…well, what is he doing here?"

"...He offered me a ride home." she muttered, not wanting to go into any other details.

Consuelo raised an eyebrow.

"You just got into a strange man's car and you let him take you here? D'Leh! Come on now you just can't—"

"H-he's not like that Abuelita. Trust me, he's not."

"But still-"

Sesshomaru listened in apparent confusion as the two of them whispered rapidly to one another in Spanish. He could tell by their expressions that he was their main topic: one was blushing lightly; the other's expressions went from surprise to astonishment, and then into a small amused smile. He cleared his throat loudly. The whispering stopped immediately when two pairs of almond-shaped eyes shot towards him. One pair, yet again, looked away from him and looked to the woman standing beside her.

"Abuelita? This is Sesshomaru." she said nervously, glancing at him.

Consuelo looked from the man back to her granddaughter, not entirely puzzled by her strange behavior, then she smiled and warmly shook his outstretched hand.

"Hello Sesshomaru. Very nice to meet you." she told him kindly.

"Uh, the pleasure is all mine."

"Ha! So polite." she said, laughing. "And handsome, too! Make sure the father of my future great-grandchildren takes after this one, ah?"

D'Leh was absolutely mortified. Sesshomaru saw it plainly in her expression and he hid a smile. Her grandmother laughed a second time and squeezed her shoulders when she mumbled something to her in Spanish.

"Aw, don't be so bashful D'Leh."

She turned back to him, still smiling.

"I want to thank you for escorting my granddaughter home. It was very thoughtful of you."

"It was no trouble at all." he assured her, a little abashed by her fervent thanks. Then he glanced pointedly at D'Leh. "Besides, I think it was for the best that I had come along."

"Yes..." Consuelo murmured, looking down. "For that I am _exceedingly_ grateful."

Her eyes then roved the room.

"Where's Ai?" she asked.

"I told her to go to your room." D'Leh muttered, looking at the stairs.

"Valé. Be right back." she said, moving toward them. "Oh, D'Leh, why don't you give our guest some tea? Take him to the kitchen."

Both D'Leh and Sesshomaru started to protest, but her grandmother had already gone (or, she had simply ignored them...). In either case, the two of them had been left alone. They glanced at each other quickly, then D'Leh moved toward the kitchen. Sesshomaru stepped to the side to let her pass but he only ended up bumping into her...and into something quite soft...He moved quickly back and she walked hurriedly pass him.

…***Whines*****… **

*Belial.* he thought sternly, following.

**But****whyyy?**

*No.*

**It's****not****fair!**_**You**_**got****to****taste****her.**

*...That was completely accidental—*

**LIES.****You**_**wanted**_**to****take****her. **

*...No—*

"Sesshomaru? Green or Mint?"

He blinked, realizing that while he had been arguing with himself he was currently sitting at the kitchen table, and he looked up to see D'Leh over by the stove reaching for something in the cupboard. For once in his ridiculously long life, Sesshomaru openly gaped. In her current position D'Leh's slender figure was…well…He started to lean over, just to get a better look of her nicely shaped backside, one that he could recall being soft and firm to the touch, but then he straightened immediately.

*…I need to get out of here…*

"Uh, either's fine." he muttered, clearing his throat.

D'Leh glanced at him strangely as she closed the cupboard and placed the already opened box of teabags on the counter. Sesshomaru watched her silently as she filled the kettle with warm water and placed it on the heating element to boil. When she was done she took a seat across from him, and they were both deathly silent.

"…Well, this isn't awkward at all…" he muttered to himself, drumming his fingers on the table.

D'Leh turned her head away to hide a smile, but Sesshomaru managed to catch it in time.

"So." he began. "What are we going to do about this father of yours?"

D'Leh glanced at him sharply.

"'We'?"

"Yes. 'We'."

"Uhm, don't you think you've helped me enough already?" she asked, face warming.

Sesshomaru smirked and leaned back in the small chair.

"Perhaps…but still—"

"No. I don't want you to get involved in this." she told him, shaking her head.

Sesshomaru let his chair fall back to the floor, and he raised a silver eyebrow.

"And why not?"

She looked down at her hands.

"Because." she whispered.

"Look, if you're afraid that he'll—"

"No, it's not that." she told him quickly, shaking her hands. "I'm sure you can win against any lawyer."

"…Then why won't you let me help you?"

She sighed.

"It…it's nothing you should concern yourself about. Really." she muttered. "Besides, it's my fight."

Sesshomaru watched her in silent frustration. Why wouldn't she accept his help? Had she not said that she trusted him?

*Maybe her opinion of me has changed.* he thought grimly.

**No. ****She****'****s ****hiding ****something.**

Belial sounded serious for once. Maybe…maybe he was right.

*Hmm.*

At that very moment, Consuelo had come back downstairs and walked into the kitchen. Completely unaware of their small conversation, she greeted them both with one of her radiant smiles.

"Is the tea ready?"

"Uh, almost." she told her, glancing back at the stove. "I'll go get the cups—"

"No, that's quite alright." Sesshomaru interrupted, standing to his feet. "I've got to go and pick up my daughter from school."

"But," Consuelo began, "you just got here! Surely you can stay just a few more minutes?"

Sesshomaru gave her a kind smile and shook his head.

"No, I've taken up enough of your time and hospitality. I really must be on my way, Good day Madam…D'Leh."

His eyes lingered on hers for a split second, then he turned abruptly and exited the small kitchen. Consuelo shot her a puzzled glance, then, remembering something, she rushed to meet him at the front door.

"Ah, Sesshomaru?

He turned to face her, one hand already on the doorknob.

"I know you have to go but, I was wondering if I could ask you for another favor."

"Yes?"

"…Well...would it be too much trouble if you'd provide transportation for Ai and D'Leh for a little while?" she whispered, glancing back at the kitchen.

Sesshomaru did also, looking over to see her granddaughter standing with her arms crossed by the kitchen door. She was watching them both, looking a little suspicious, and he looked slowly back at her grandmother.

"I'm a little worried that her father might pull another stunt like he did this morning…"

"It would be no trouble at all." he told her, opening the front door. "I'll pick her up bright and early Monday morning."

Consuelo smiled in relief.

"Thank you."

Sesshomaru gave her a nod in farewell, and with one final look at her young charge he left, closing the door behind him. Consuelo locked it and turned to stare questioningly at her granddaughter. D'Leh simply shrugged and she went back into the kitchen when the kettle began to whistle loudly. Consuelo followed her inside, and she took Sesshomaru's old seat as she watched D'Leh silently prepare the tea. She had glanced back at her when she entered, and a small fleeting look flickered in her eyes before she looked quickly away…something was up.

"…D'Leh."

"Huh." she grunted distractedly.

"Did you say something to Sesshomaru when I was upstairs? He seemed…vexed."

D'Leh glanced furtively back, and Consuelo could tell that she was a little guilty about something.

"D'Leh?"

"…Uhmmmmm…"

"D'Leh." she repeated sternly.

Her granddaughter groaned.

"Well…h-he, he-offered-to-be-my-lawyer-but-I-told-him-no-and-now-he's-probably-mad-that-I-threw-his-offer-back-into-his-face-like-it-was-nothing-and-I-think-that-he-thinks-that-I-hate-him-even-though-we-kissed-and-I'm-really-really-_really-_confused-right-now-and—"

"Ay Dios mio, ¡cálmese!"

D'Leh clapped her hands over her mouth and quieted immediately, realizing what she had just blurted. Then she slowly removed them and leaned back against the counter.

"Now…Nieta, what's caused this sudden outburst?" Consuelo asked, mildly worried. "And, did I hear you say "kissed"?"

D'Leh avoided her prying eyes and played with the little pendant hanging around her neck, finding it _much_ more interesting than their current, unavoidable topic. Consuelo, though a little confused, was delighted by her strange behavior, and she smiled when she spotted a very distinct, reddish color crawling onto the apples of her granddaughter's cheeks.

"D'Leh?" she said, almost in sing-song.

"Okay, okay!" she yelled, exasperated. "We…smooched. But only once."

Consuelo chuckled lightly.

"Did you enjoy it?"

D'Leh blinked.

"I…I—"

"You know, your grandfather, bless his soul, asked me that very same question the first time he ever kissed me. I replied exactly as you did." she told her, sighing dreamily. "That man was such a wonderful kisser—"

"Mamá!" she yelled, a little weirded out. "Please!"

"Oh don't be such a child, girl. Abuelita has had her experiences."

D'Leh rolled her eyes.

"Now then, what else happened?"

"…He offered to be my lawyer?"

Consuelo stared at her, dumbstruck.

"And?" she asked excitedly. "What did you say?"

She scratched the back of her head and shot her a quick glance, getting that strange feeling down in the pit of her stomach again.

"…I told him no?"

"Oh, D'Leh—"

"No Abuelita, please. I don't want him mixed up in all of this. He can't."

"And why not?" she demanded, a little angry. "From what I can tell, he seems like a pretty good one."

"He is." D'Leh muttered bitterly, crossing her arms.

"Then what's the problem sweetheart?"

D'Leh sighed.

"I don't want him to find out about…me." she whispered.

Consuelo opened her mouth to ask her what did she mean by "finding out about her", but then it closed when she immediately realized the answer.

"D'Leh…that wasn't your fault."

"It wasn't my mother's fault either, but it won't matter." she mumbled, taking a seat across from her. "You know how my father is. He'd do anything to smear my mother's good name, and what's left of mine."

"But D'Leh, why should it matter if he knows?" she pleaded, placing a hand over hers. "You're not so foolish as to throw away this opportunity all because of a rumor, are you? If you don't accept his help—"

"I know, Grandmamá. I know…"

Consuelo sighed heavily and glanced into the living room in time to see the youngest member of their small family standing by the entryway, rubbing the sleep from one of her eyes.

"Ai…" she said, coming toward her.

D'Leh's eyes shot in her direction, and she silently watched her grandmother take her into her arms.

"Hungry?" she whispered, brushing her hair back.

Ai nodded against her shoulder, and with one long look behind her she walked toward the slightly worn couch. D'Leh took the hint and went to the fridge. She took out a pack of hotdogs, some buns and other condiments and placed them on the counter. She filled a pot with water, placed it on the stove to boil, and she watched it without seeing it as she listen to her grandmother's soft singing coming from the living room. She hung her head. This upcoming (and imminent) custody hearing was going to be a heavy and stressful burden. Just when things were starting to pick up…WHAM…Fate decided to pick on her yet again. She slid to the floor and, pulling her knees toward her, leaned her forehead on her arms, getting the sudden urge to weep uncontrollably.

*What am I going to do…?*

…What indeed...

* * *

Within seconds of leaving her house, Sesshomaru was already inside his car, hands tightly gripping the steering wheel. Every time he was alone with that girl_something_ (or, a series of somethings) would always happen, be it a seemingly innocent conversation or…he knocked his forehead hard against the outer rim of the steering wheel.

*Why? Why did I _do_ that?*

**It ****felt good****, ****yah?**

Sesshomaru sighed.

*Yes—*

**And ****she ****didn****'****t ****kick ****you ****in ****the ****sweets ****did ****she?**

*…No.*

**Alrighty ****then! ****Next ****order ****of ****business: ****what ****to ****do ****about ****this ****silly ****hearing?**

*She doesn't want my help Belial.*

**Don****'****t ****sound ****so ****sour. ****You ****know ****women ****these ****days; ****they ****tell ****you ****what ****they ****don****'****t ****want ****and ****expect ****you ****to ****read ****their ****minds ****in ****order ****to ****find ****what ****they ****do ****want.**

*…You're not making sense Belial.*

**Yup.**

*...The only way I can help her is if I act as her lawyer.*

…**It****'****s ****not ****the **_**only **_**thing ****you ****can ****do.**

Sesshomaru lifted his head slightly away from the steering wheel.

*…Explain…*

**Ok, ****look. ****Remember ****that ****one ****case ****we ****studied ****during ****your ****last ****year ****in ****law ****school? ****Over ****in ****America?**

*…Yeah. McKnight vs. Hansen; it was a custody battle. We won that case didn't we?*

**Do ****you ****remember **_**how **_**we ****won ****it?**

Sesshomaru knitted his eyebrows together. The case was so long ago, and the details were a little fuzzy.

*something out of our control happened, something that gave us the upper hand…I think the client fell into a large sum of money.*

**Exactly.**

Sesshomaru was starting to get a little annoyed.

*…Belial, what's with the little anecdote? Are you going to distract me with past victories while D'Leh goes on to lose _everything_ she—*

**Sesshomaru, ****listen. ****What ****if ****she ****was ****to ****fall ****into ****some ****extra ****cash? ****A **_**lot **_**of ****extra ****cash? **

Sesshomaru snorted.

*You want me to rob a bank?*

**I****'****m ****serious.**

*Belial it's impossible. It is far too late for D'Leh to go and find herself a job let alone a philanthropist willing or generous enough to just hand over bags of money; the era of patronage is long gone.*

He could sense his other half smirk deep within the crevasses of his mind.

*…Belial?*

**We ****can ****give ****her ****ours.**

Sesshomaru sat upright abruptly, knocking his head on the small visor that shaded his eyes from the sun.

*…What?*

**Ok, ****fine. **_**Yours.**_

*Belial, are you mad? I can't just _give_ her money! She has to prove to the court that she is able to provide for the child without any outside help.*

**Are...spouses ****considered ****outside ****help?**

*What are you—oh, I see what you're doing.*

**Hehe.**

Sesshomaru sighed.

*Belial, I already told you that I wouldn't get involved.*

**You****'****re ****gonna ****have ****to ****now. ****She****'****ll ****lose ****the ****kid ****if ****you ****don****'****t.**

*Yeah. I know…*

Sighing, Sesshomaru buckled his seatbelt and silently turned on the ignition. He backed out of the driveway and he reached over to shift the gear into drive, but before he did he turned his head to stare at the slightly crumbling building at his right. It really amazed him how such good genuine people like D'Leh and her grandmother could stand to live in such a place. Perhaps, for people who weren't brought up in splendor like him, they had to live in whatever they could afford to live in…Since his birth he was brought up surrounded by luxury, doted on by his parents and servants. Since his youth he expected such treatment, even now into his adulthood, and anything less was unacceptable. Of course, such expectation dulled over the years. Belial was right. Something had to be done.

It didn't take him long to drive up to his daughter's private school, and he waited patiently as she waved goodbye to her friends before hopping into the back. She began telling him about her day immediately, and after ten minutes of nonstop babbling she asked him a rather spontaneous question, one he had accidentally missed.

"…Daddy!"

"Huh? What?"

"I _said_ why did you pick me up so late? You're usually there when I'm done with practice."

"Oh. I was…held up. At a meeting."

…**Liar.**

The answer seemed to satisfy Rin's curiosity, and after she was done spewing forth whatever she had left to say, she amused herself by humming a little tune as she stared happily out of the window. Sesshomaru glanced up at the mirror a couple times, a question forming in his mind.

"Rin?"

She turned to face him.

"Yes Daddy?"

"…What do you think of D'Leh?" he murmured, stopping at a street light. "Do you…like her?"

Rin gave him a wide smile, one he hadn't catch, and she moved onto her usual spot. The good Ol' armrest.

"As much as you do." she told him, grinning.

He glanced down at her, then he looked forward and nudged her back with his shoulder, making her sit back in her chair. Then he chuckled once, quietly to himself.

"That's interesting to know Rin…"

The light was now green.

_**Very **_**interesting****…**


	10. Chapter Nine

-10-

The following Monday morning, D'Leh (surprisingly) lay wide awake in bed, eyebrows knitted together in slight concentration as she stared off into space. Her grandmother had already left for work at the usual time: 5:30 AM. Now it was almost 6:00, and she would've conked out after mumbling her goodbyes, but today something was different. Unlike previous mornings, her grandmother hadn't taken Ai along with her. She asked her if she was alright and was just about to stay home again (of course, it wasn't the _only_ reason she wanted to...), but her grandmother simply smiled and told her everything was just fine. She huffed quietly at her messy hair, puzzled and slightly suspicious, then she glanced back at the clock yet again: 6:04 AM…She looked away and up at her dark, slightly twinkling ceiling.

*I _could_ get ready now…*

Her door suddenly creaked quietly open. She couldn't help smiling when she felt a small something (or someone) scramble up into the bed and crawl up beside her.

*Or not.*

She wrapped her arm around her niece and tucked in the sheet as she snuggled closer. Then, sighing, she pressed her cheek against her warm head.

"Ready for school?" she whispered.

She felt Ai shake her head no.

"Uh-uh." she mumbled sleepily, grabbing her shirt.

"And why not?"

Ai shrugged lazily, then she suddenly squealed and tried to wriggle away from her as she mercilessly tickled her sides. D'Leh smiled, and, when she had calmed down, laid there in quiet contentment as she listened to her niece's gentle breathing and enjoyed the comforting warmth coming from her little body. She thought back to last Friday…about her father and his demands for _her_ niece…even Sesshomaru. She sighed and looked down at the innocent face resting comfortably on her chest.

*He can't have her. He _can__'__t_…*sigh*…Abuelita is right; I should just swallow my pride and accept his help…*

With that hardly thought out resolve in mind, she glanced for the umpteenth time at the clock and, placing a small kiss on Ai's forehead, slipped carefully out of her bed. She grabbed some clothes from her closet and went into the bathroom to take a shower. A couple minutes later she returned to find Ai curled up into a tight ball with her comforter bungled up all around her. Not wanting to wake her just yet, she went down the hall into her grandmother's room and pulled out some clothes for her as well, then she went back to her own and set them down on the occupied mattress before she shook her niece gently awake.

"Hey sleepyhead…time to get up."

After a bit of incoherent whining, Ai sat up slowly and, eyes droopy, reached out for her blindly. D'Leh picked up her sleepy little angel and carried her into the bathroom for a nice hot bath. Halfway into it, Ai started to become fully awake and transformed back into her curious, energetic self.

"D'Leh?"

"Hm?"

"Why did Babba leave without me?"

She shrugged, splashing some of the warm water around.

"No sé. I guess I'll have to walk you there on my way to school."

"Really?" she asked, sounding excited.

She gave her a small smile and wiped some of the soapy suds onto her nose.

"Well, I guess if I _have_ to..."

Ai giggled and decided to give her a small beard in exchange. When she had finished dressing her they both went into the kitchen to fix a hot breakfast, dropping what they would have had to carry on the living room sofa. She blushed a bright red, suddenly remembering what had happened there not too long ago with her and Sesshomaru...and his—

"D'Leh?" Ai asked sweetly, tugging on her pants. "Why are you red?"

"Nothing you need to know about." she quickly told her, ushering her into the kitchen.

"So, uh, what do you want to eat this morning?" she asked, opening the fridge door and sticking her head in.

"OATSMEALS PLEASE!" Ai screamed excitedly.

D'Leh lugged out a gallon of milk and gave her bubbly niece a very long look. Then she turned to grab a pot from the oven and shook her head in amusement, muttering to herself something along the lines of "sugar". She grabbed the box of oats from the cupboard right above the stove and poured that, the milk, some sugar and a little bit of salt and cinnamon into the already heating pot to cook. Ai, meanwhile, had skipped off somewhere. So, leaving the pot and its contents to simmer for a little while, she left the kitchen and found her on the living room floor. She was trying to tie her shoelaces together, and she was failing miserably (but in a terribly cute sort of way). D'Leh smiled to herself and took a seat on the floor beside her.

"…Need some help?" she asked.

Ai shook her head in the negative, intent on taming the wild laces all by her little self. She watched her for a few minutes as she tangled and untangled them with her tongue sticking out in childish determination, then she smacked her hands gently away and completely freed the long white strands.

"Take one in each hand, ok?"

Ai did as she was told.

"Now, tie them together and make two big loops."

"Like bunny ears?"

D'Leh smiled.

"Yes, like bunny ears…ok, now tie those two together and pull. See?"

Ai smiled up at her sweetly in thanks and started on her other shoe. D'Leh felt her chest tighten at the thought of never seeing that smile ever again. If her father managed to get his hands on her…she shuddered, not wanting to think about it.

"D'Leh, look! I did it, see?"

She glanced down at the identical, lopsided bow and she ruffled her hair in reward. A sudden loud pop sounded from the kitchen, and D'Leh (realizing what it had come from) raced into the kitchen to check on the "oatsmeals". Not too long after, the doorbell chimed and Ai jumped up from the floor to answer the front door.

"I got it, I got it!"

"No wait—Oh shi—!"

As promised, Sesshomaru had arrived at the appointed time to fetch both Ai and D'Leh. He was currently parked in their driveway, and had been sitting there for the last five minutes, staring at their front door. Rin sat in her usual spot right behind him, and she was starting to get a little impatient.

"Daddy?" she asked, getting on the edge of her seat. "What are we waiting for?"

Her question seemed to bring him out of his trance, and he glanced into the rearview mirror.

"…Nothing, let's go." he told her, removing his seatbelt.

They both got out of the car, one much more excitedly than the other, and Rin raced up the doorstep to ring the doorbell. By the time he reached her the door was already opened, but Ai's sweet greeting was drowned out by the clanging of metal hitting the floor and a rather loud curse coming from the kitchen. Sesshomaru slightly raised both of his eyebrows in surprise.

"Uh-oh…" Ai muttered, turning in surprise.

"…You think she'll get madder if you let us in?" Rin whispered.

Ai grinned mischievously and shook her head no, then she opened the door a little wider to let them inside. He closed it back while the two of them plopped down on the living room floor, one showing the other her newly acquired skill of Tying Of The Laces. His eyes shot toward the kitchen when he heard another soft curse, and he slowly approached it to find D'Leh, back facing him, rubbing at the front of her shirt as she muttered darkly to herself in a foreign language…Spanish he soon realized.

He thought it wise to allow her to splurge before announcing his presence; thankfully it wasn't aimed at him, and he didn't want it to be. Besides, it was a little amusing to watch. D'Leh, still oblivious of Sesshomaru's current location, finally finished her diction-enhanced tirade and threw a wet, slightly gooey paper towel into the trash can.

"Ai!" she called, turning as she rubbed at the wet stain on her shirt. "Who was at the—"

She stopped talking when she saw Sesshomaru (of all people) leaning against the kitchen doorway, golden eyes twinkling with amusement. He was dressed casually in a pair of gray pants and black dress shoes, and he wore a simple, dark blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, showing many magenta colored scars or perhaps other tribal markings. She tried to say something, speechless either by shock, embarrassment, or possibly both.

"U-uh…how, how long have you been standing there?" she asked, finally getting her voice back.

Sesshomaru shrugged and took a step toward her.

"…Long enough." he told her.

D'Leh gave him a quick nervous look before picking the pot cover off of the floor, and then, grabbing a large spoon, attended to what she had spitting on the stove.

"Where's Rin?" she asked quietly, slowly mixing the clumpy oatmeal.

"In the living room." he replied simply, pulling out a chair and taking a seat at the table.

"Ah."

They were silent for a couple minutes, and they listened to the small girlish chatter coming from the living room. He could sense her uneasiness by his presence; the same could be said for him by her own. But, unlike her, he had managed to hide his anxiety. Well, he hoped anyway. What had happened between them was a clear and vivid memory, and a very pissed Belial found it amusing to replay it over and over (and over) again in his mind, in _highly __defined __detail_. A strange heaviness hung between them. Awkwardness? Uneasy attraction? He supposed it was both. Finally, D'Leh turned around to face him.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, sounding a little annoyed.

"…I'm here to pick you up." he told her, deciding not to explain further.

"Pick me up?" she repeated.

Sesshomaru nodded. D'Leh blinked at him in confusion.

"…Why do you have to—"

"Aunty?" Ai meekly interrupted her.

Both of them glanced over to see Rin and Ai standing by the kitchen door.

"Yeah?"

"…Can we go now?"

"What about breakfast—"

"I can eat at daycare." Ai interrupted her quickly a second time after Rin nudged her shoulder with her elbow.

Sesshomaru glanced between the two of them; despite the all too innocent looks, their sweet little faces harbored the minds of scheming little demons.

"Daddy?"

He slowly raised an eyebrow when, after awaiting her question, he was given "The Look" instead. Sesshomaru firmly held his daughter's unrelenting gaze of cuteness, then he sighed heavily and stood to his feet.

"Alright. Let's go."

The girls cheered and scurried excitedly off. Sesshomaru stuffed his hands into his pockets and watched as they waited impatiently for the two of them, bags zipped and ready, and he glanced behind him to see a look of deep befuddlement on D'Leh's face. He turned and hid a smile…Priceless…

"…'Go'? What?" she repeated to herself, a little incredulous. Then she looked up at him. "Go where?"

"Come on. I'll explain on the way." he whispered, pulling her gently by the arm into the living room. "Is this your stuff?"

"Yeah, but really, you don't—"

"Race you guys to the car!" Rin suddenly shrieked.

"Rin—"

She was already gone; a second later, Ai had also disappeared. The two adults sighed and shared a glance.

"…After you."

D'Leh grabbed her backpack and her jacket, and, after exiting the house and _securely_ locking the door, she walked toward the driveway with him following close behind her. The girls were already in the back of the car, seatbelts cinched snugly around them. D'Leh was a little worried by Sesshomaru's lack of a booster seat, but it was unlikely that he, having an eleven year old, would still have one strapped in and ready to use.

"Ai?" she said, looking over the seat at her. "You okay back there?"

Ai nodded and happily kicked her legs. D'Leh smiled and settled down just as Sesshomaru climbed inside and shut his door.

"How far is this Daycare?" he asked, turning the car on.

"It's on 42nd Ave...close to the El Cheapo." she told him, placing her bag on the floor between her legs.

"Alright. I'll have to drop Rin off at school first." he murmured, turning around as he backed the car into the street. "She's already late as it is."

"I'm not _that_ late." Rin retorted, gaining a look from her father.

"Yes you are. Now straighten your legs; you're wearing a skirt."

D'Leh glanced back to see her do so grudgingly, but her surliness was replaced by a curiosity just as sudden when she spotted a small thin scratch on her calf. Sesshomaru, meanwhile, turned back around to switch the gear, and he managed to drop Rin off at her school close to five minutes past the tardy bell. She yelled her goodbyes as soon as her feet touched the sidewalk, and he waited until she was safely inside the school building before following her directions to Heaven's Little Angels Childcare Facility.

"We'll be right back." she told him, unclipping her seatbelt.

However, Sesshomaru turned off the ignition, and she glanced over at him in confusion when he too took off his seatbelt.

"…What are you doing?"

"I'm coming in with you." he said, glancing over at her.

She blinked.

"Why?"

He nodded his head to the parking lot, and she looked around to see various red-colored cars scattered among others that were differently-colored.

"…Oh." she whispered.

"Come on." he murmured, gently nudging her arm. "Let's go."

They both exited the car, and he stood patiently on the sidewalk while she helped Ai out of her seat. The three of them then entered the small white building and were met by a neatly laid out, navy-blue carpeted interior. The walls, also painted white, were covered with the children's many pieces of art work. Chairs were placed evenly beneath them, and two tall rubber plants guarded the front doors. Facing these doors there was a sign out desk and standing right behind it was Oslyn, her grandmother's closest and oldest friend.

Oslyn was much younger than her grandmother, about 20 years, and she was a vibrant, very proud woman. She was of West African descent, and she had spent a majority of her life in the West Indies (obvious by her grammar and very thick accent). She moved from behind it and shot them a lovely smile when they entered. Ai suddenly bolted forward, calling her name, and D'Leh smiled back and slowly approached the two of them as she caught her in a loving embrace.

"Hi Oslyn."

"Mauwning Child, Mauwning. How be you?" she asked, straightening while Ai grabbed the two longest fingers on her right hand.

"…I be good." she told her, copying her grammatical pattern.

Oslyn sucked her teeth at her in annoyance, but she smiled all the same.

"You faht Mma." she muttered, shaking her head. D'Leh shot her a grin. "Now, why you here? Shouldn't you be learning you lessons?"

"It's still early." she told her quickly, not wanting a lecture. "I just wanted to drop Ai off before I went."

"Hm…and who's this yah?" she asked, looking behind her.

D'Leh turned to see that, while they had been talking, Sesshomaru had taken a seat and was now flipping through a magazine, looking a little bored. She turned back around to see her glancing between the two of them.

"Uh…just an acquaintance."

"…You and he be friend, ah?" she said, smiling slyly.

"Me—Frien—…He can hear you." she hissed quietly.

Sesshomaru's eyes flicked up at them when they suddenly lowered their voices, then he looked back at the magazine and turned the page, smirking to himself.

"Mmmhmmm." she murmured looking her up and down. D'Leh rolled her eyes.

"Well, you have a good day at school. And mind you, behave youself you know? Ok."

"Yes Ma'am."

She grunted, somehow knowing that would probably not be the case, but she gave her a quick, squeezing hug. Then she smiled down at the beaming three year old standing beside her.

"Come. Mama is in the reading room."

"Byebye!" Ai said, waving her lunch box.

"Bye…" she told her quietly, waving much less enthusiastically back.

She watched them walk down a hallway that led them toward the back of the building, and they eventually made a sudden turn, disappearing from view. She sighed, straightening her slipping backpack, and she turned around to see Sesshomaru getting up from his seat.

"Ready?" he asked.

She nodded and moved for the door, but she jumped back a little when Sesshomaru, with one fluid motion, stepped forward and held the door open for her. She mumbled a small thank you as she walked past, and Sesshomaru simply followed.

"What time do you have to be at school?" he asked, taking out his keys. "It's almost 8:00."

"Late bell's at 8:25." she told him, opening the door when she heard it unlock. "It's alright if you drop me off a little early—"

"Do you…drink coffee?" he asked suddenly, hesitantly interrupting.

She stared across the roof of the car at him for a few moments, a little surprised by the random question.

"U-uh…Well I, I don't _hate_ it…"

"…I need some coffee." he murmured decisively, climbing inside.

D'Leh did the same, and they drove in a slightly uncomfortable silence. The next ten or so minutes were spent either staring straight ahead or out of the moving window; occasionally the two of them would glance at and away from one another. Finally, Sesshomaru turned and drove into a packed parking lot (front facing the street), and while he stopped the engine and took off his seatbelt D'Leh turned around to see a small cozy coffee shop sitting behind them.

"You can leave your stuff inside." he told her, getting out of the car.

"…'Kay." she murmured, answering the sound of a door slamming shut.

She reached for the handle of her own with one hand and tried to unclip her seatbelt with the other. But, unlike last time, it refused to come undone. She jiggled it around a couple more times, each one a little more violent than the one before.

"…What the—ugh!"

Sesshomaru leaned over and glanced down into his window when he heard her muffled cry of frustration, and he smirked slightly to find her struggling with her accursed Safety Belt of Doom. He walked around to her side of the car and leaned against it after he opened her door, something she hadn't notice. He crossed his arms as he stared down at her.

"…Need some help?" he asked, startling her.

She looked up at him, then quickly back down to her seatbelt and made another useless attempt to pull the clip out.

"Uhh…Yeah." she said finally, looking a little embarrassed.

"Don't feel so bad." he reassured her, leaning down. "She can be a little stubborn."

With one sharp tug it loosened. D'Leh felt a little nervous by his closeness and tried to push the feeling aside. Of course, she couldn't help feeling a little relieved when he pulled back to give her a little more room. She gave him a small smile in thanks when she got out of the car, and she followed him into the coffee shop. They were immediately met with the rich smell of freshly brewed coffee, and she thought (though it might've been her imagination) that she heard Sesshomaru exhale deeply with a small sigh.

"Grab a table anywhere you like." he said moving off. "I'll be back with the coffee."

She looked around and finally chose a table by the large wall-to-wall windows at the front of the shop, deciding that sitting in some corner alone with Sesshomaru would probably be a pretty bad idea. Leaning her chin on her hand, she stared out into the busy street. Sitting there by herself, she started to feel a little depressed. Sure, she had all the necessities, but with an upcoming court battle looming over her shoulder, and the possibility of losing her little girl, things pretty much sucked.

To make matters worse, her personal life—well, the remnant of what a personal _should_ be—stank (yes…"STANK"). She couldn't decide whether or not she was attracted to a certain someone (who, by the way, had _very_ high credentials in both the appearance and financial department), or…if it was even for the right reasons. The most she could understand from this point was this: NOTHING. She sighed and glanced over to find said person over by the coffee machines, topping two medium-sized cups.

*What am I working myself up about? I don't even know if he wants anything to do with me other than…_that_. But he doesn't seem like the kind of guy who would only want a piece of tail, right? Maybe—UGH!*

Sighing, she thought back to "The Incident" as she preferred to call it. For now, there could only be one rational reason: testosterone. Yes, she may have enjoyed it, and yeah, she said she had trusted him, but who knows? It could've just been that antsy feeling people of the opposite (or even same) sex always got around each other. Freud seemed to think so…

She somehow managed to slip away from this strange line of thought back into the present, and when he had turned around she glanced quickly away, waiting until he had approached the table before glancing up at him.

"Here."

He placed one of the cups in front of her before taking a seat.

"I didn't know what you wanted so I got you DeCafe. Here's the cream and sugar."

"Thanks." she muttered, pulling it closer.

She immediately felt a small stream of warmth when she popped back the small square opening, then (yet again), they both went silent. The tension between them was stiff and more than a little obvious to them both. Save for the occasional sip or two, neither did much of anything except listen to the various conversations going on in the background. Finally, D'Leh couldn't stand it any longer; the stifling disquietness between the two of them just had to go.

"...Se—"

"D'Le—"

They both stopped, staring at one another. Then they both made uneasy laughs.

"Uh, you first." she told him, looking down.

"...Ok, listen; I'm going to be frank." he told her, pausing at first. "In the last couple of weeks, things have become...weird between us."

"Weird is a _bit_ of an understatement, don't you think?" she asked.

He smirked to himself and grunted in agreement.

"Well, this weirdness hasn't been doing either of us any good..." he trailed off, looking serious.

"...So?" she prodded him.

He took a long thoughtful sip of his coffee before answering.

"Do over." he said simply, watching her straight in the eye.

She stared oddly back at him.

"Huh?"

"Let's...just try to forget what transpired between the two of us." he muttered, swirling his coffee around. "We'll think of each other as...just friends. Agreed?"

**Are ****you ****insane? ****NO! ****Not ****agreed!**

*Was I talking to you? No, I believe I was not.*

**Listen ****you****—**

"...Sure. Okay." D'Leh told him, suddenly quiet.

He could tell she was bothered by something. Had she wanted...something more? Had she wanted _him_?

_**Now **_**look ****what ****you ****did. ****Jackass...**

Sesshomaru ignored him.

"...Good. Now, about this 'not being your lawyer' business."

She blinked.

"You _still_ want to be my lawyer?" she asked, sounding incredulous. "Even after I—"

He held up his hand, silencing her.

"Clean slate, remember?"

"I...Right." she said, a little flustered. "So...do I need to sign something?"

He gave her a slight smile.

"We can deal with all of the paperwork later on. For now we can just focus on—"

"D'Leh!"

At the sound of her name, D'Leh turned her head and, after searching the slightly crowded area behind them, finally found its source. A middle-aged woman, with one large coffee in one hand and the other pulling a crate-basket full of books, papers, and files, was walking hurriedly toward them. She blinked.

*...Ms. Nitta?*

"Hello." she told them breathlessly, finally within normal talking distance.

"Uh, hi?"

"Don't act so ecstatic D'Leh. Please, you're embarrassing me." she said in a bland tone. Then, noticing Sesshomaru, she glanced between the two of them.

"Are you on a date?"

"NO!" she yelled, gaining some unwanted attention. She cleared her throat. "No. We are not on a date; he's helping me with a...legal matter."

"Could've fooled me." Nitta muttered, making her turn a light pinkish-red.

"So, you gonna introduce me or not?"

"Nitta Sesshomaru, Sesshomaru Ms. Nitta." she said quickly, staring down at her hardly touched coffee.

Nitta shook his hand warmly. He returned the favor with a firm shake of his own.

"Hello Sesshomaru, very nice to meet you." she told him, then she turned her attention back to her usual. "Now, D'Leh, there was something I was going to ask you during lunch, but I may as well ask you now..."

She paused and set her coffee down on the table. Then, squatting, she rummaged through her cart of folders. Finally, she straightened and pulled out a single piece of paper along with a blue fountain pen.

"Ok. Jiménez, Jiménez, Jiménez..." she murmured thoughtfully. "Ah! Here we are. So, D'Leh, is your grandmother still going to chaperone the dance with me? We talked about it before, but I want to put it on record."

D'Leh shook her head.

"No, she's not feeling too well. Besides, I'm, I'm not going so there's really no reason for her to be there."

Sesshomaru irked an eyebrow. The motion went unnoticed.

"Alright. I hope she gets better soon, ok?" she capped the pen and folded the paper in half. "Bye you two."

D'Leh narrowed her eyes. The way she said that just now...They both said their farewells as she packed up her stuff, and finally she walked away, leaving the two of them alone.

"Is she a relative of yours?" he asked.

"Ha! No." she said laughingly. "No, she's, uh, -ahem- the, uh, school dean?"

"…I see." he murmured, understanding. "The two of you must know each other very well then."

She gave him a cross look, gaining a small smug smile in return.

"Shut up." she muttered.

He suppressed a chuckle and glanced down at his watch.

"It's 8:15. Ready to go?" he asked, standing.

She sighed heavily and stood to her feet also.

"Yeah, I guess." she told him, taking one final sip from her coffee.

Within minutes they exited the small establishment and climbed back into his car. Again he followed her instructions, this time to her high school, and even though the silence between them was comfortable enough Sesshomaru still felt unusually restless; he had a question right on the tip of his tongue, and he was itching all over to let it out.

**You see, this is what you get for living ten plus years alone with the brat.**

*And to which are you referring to Belial?*

…**Huh?**

"D'Leh."

"Hm?"

"What is it with you and this school dance I've been hearing so much about?"

"…What?" she asked stupidly.

He shot her a look. She rolled her eyes in teenaged fashion and looked out the window. When he neared the road that led into parent-pick up, she perked up and reached for her bag. He slowed and eventually stopped the car, putting it into park, but he stealthily turned on the auto lock seconds before she pulled (and repeatedly pulled) on the door handle.

"…Sesshomaru?"

"Yes?"

"Open the door."

"First answer my question."

"…Sesshomaru I'm gonna be late—"

"Answer." he said sternly.

D'Leh sighed tiredly.

"I don't…like dances okay? _That__'__s_ why I'm not going." she answered evenly. "Now open the f***ing door."

"No need for the hostility…" he murmured defensively, switching the lock.

"Thank you." she told him, getting out of the car.

She slipped her backpack over her shoulder while shutting the car door, then she leaned down to his eye level.

**It****'****s ****times ****like ****this ****that ****I **_**really **_**hate ****her ****choice ****of ****clothing.**

*Please Belial; talk of her lack of revealing cleavage as if it were nothing.*

**Well, ****don****'****t ****you?**

He chose not to reply.

"School lets out around 2:40, ok?"

He nodded his understanding.

"Alright. See you then."

He started to roll up his the passenger window when she turned and walked away, but she had only taken a couple steps forward before an idea suddenly sprang to mind. He rolled it all the way back down.

"Wait."

She stopped and turned back to the car.

"Yeah?"

"What's Nitta's cell number?"

She irked an eyebrow and crossed her arms.

"Why do you want her number?"

"…That is no concern of yours."

"Whatever." she said shortly, rolling her eyes. "It's 377-5562. Now can I go?"

"Thanks—"

She turned abruptly around, not bothering to wait for his response.

"See ya." she called behind her.

He blinked.

*…What—?*

**Seems ****our ****feisty ****Latina ****is ****a ****little ****bit ****jealous, ****Ne?**

He smirked, amused as she stomped angrily away.

*For once I think you're actually right.*

She began to run when the 8:25 bell suddenly rang, and she soon disappeared from sight. He rolled the window all the way back up and switched the gear back into drive. Holding the steering wheel steady with one hand, he blindly felt the back pouch of the passenger chair with the other as he searched for his cell phone. He began to get impatient after a couple minutes of groping.

*Where is that damn thing?*

…**You're swerving**

He immediately righted the car with both hands, his quest for his cell momentarily paused. He stopped putting pressure on the gas pedal when he spotted a red light up ahead, and he reached back into the pouch. Feeling something surprisingly warm and fuzzy, he pulled his arm back around to find he had one of Rin's innumerable animal backpacks. There was something distinctly oblong lodged inside its back.

*Ah, here it is.* he caught a hold of it and shook the plushy loose.

He glanced back up at the light, which was still red, and he dialed Nitta's phone number.

**What are you doing?**

*…Scheduling an appointment.*

**But isn't she a—**

"Hello?"

"Is this Nitta Koi?"

"Yes?"

"This is Sesshomaru; from earlier today?"

"Oh! Hi, what can I do for you? Do you need a witness or something?"

"No, no. nothing like that." he told her, pressing on the gas when the light changed to green. "No, I wanted to know if you were still in need of a chaperone…"


	11. Chapter Ten

-11-

D'Leh held back another quiet groan as her stomach grumbled loudly in protest. Her fourth period class was just about over, but the thought gave her belly no comfort. She laid her head down and wrapped an arm around her aching middle.

*So, hungry…need, food—*

"_Jiménez_."

She glanced up slowly, head still resting on top of her desk.

"…What."

Her teacher's face became taut with anger.

"Sit up and pay attention this instant." she snapped. "You may have a passing grade in this class, but try me and I'll see to it that it changes."

D'Leh made no move to obey her and fixed her with a bland, disinterested look. Mrs. Fairbanks, her English teacher, was a short behemoth of a woman who sported a fine gray mustache, warts, and brown liver spots. She was ridiculously harsh and stern, her whiney voice entirely ruining the effect, and she was very quick to reprimand and scold.

Normally, D'Leh managed to stay under her radar but now that she had her potential rebelliousness within her sights, she saw no reason to deny acting the part of surly teenager. By now Mrs. Fairbanks' pasty-colored skin reddened, and she slammed her grammar book onto her desk with a force that didn't match her small frame; her classmates began to whisper and murmur amongst themselves.

"Didn't you hear me?"

D'Leh ignored her and glanced up at the clock.

*One minute left…*

"_D'Leh_."

"Huh?" she drawled.

Mrs. Fairbanks sputtered incoherently and, with spittle flying, began to screech at her in a rage. D'Leh reached calmly over for her bag and slipped it over her shoulder, sighing. The lunch bell rang not that long after, and (unlike everyone else) she walked nonchalantly out of the classroom, leaving her teacher's loud and empty threats behind her.

Thankfully, her fourth period class was close to the cafeteria, and it wasn't long before she had finally gotten her food. As soon as she got out of the lunch line, she exited the cafeteria and walked toward the eastern section of the small campus. There she found her usual eating spot: a large grassy area right next to the wide bus circle, dotted here and there with a couple of fully grown oaks. She plopped down beneath the shade of her favorite one, the tallest of them all with a uniquely twisted trunk, and she scarfed down her scanty meal as she pulled a sketch book from out of her backpack.

Flipping through drawings of things that had caught her fancy (many incomplete) she finally found a blank page. She glanced around, idly tapping her pencil as she tried to get some idea as to what should be drawn next.

*…what to draw, what to draw…* she thought, slouching against the tree's mutated trunk.

She sat up slowly and stopped waving her pencil around when a thought suddenly came to mind. She bit her lip as she stared down at the empty, white page.

*Maybe…?*

She bent forward and proceeded to draw the curves of her subject's head, but the task was interrupted when she was suddenly ambushed by a troupe of female students.

Now, D'Leh (being…D'Leh) was what many at her high school would consider to be "socially deviant"; no one had ever made any attempt to befriend her (which didn't really bother her), so in turn she didn't either. Glancing upward, she was more than a little surprised to see a clique of four or five girls (all of whom she recognized but hardly knew) standing over her. Both sides were silent, D'Leh watching them warily, and they looking between one another. Finally, the boldest (and bravest) of them all stepped forward.

"…Uhm, hi."

She irked an eyebrow.

The others did the same as their friend and quietly said their hellos, some weakly waving while others fidgeted nervously under her gaze (and with good reason).

"…Hi." she finally told them, wary.

Again they were awkwardly silent. D'Leh began to get irritated, and she was sure the others could sense it.

"Look, uhm…we, we were just wondering about something…" she murmured, taking another step forward.

"Yeah?"

"U-uh…uhm—"

She looked back at her friends, probably seeking support.

"Well—"

"Who was that guy that dropped you off this morning?" one of them finally blurted.

D'Leh blinked.

"What?" she asked, stupidly.

They descended suddenly upon her like a flock of agitated geese, a continuous stream of questions and remarks in their wake.

"What's his name?"

"Uh—"

"How old is he? He looks so mature! Doesn't he?"

"Well—"

"Are his tattoos really real?"

"Yeah! Where'd he get 'em?"

"I, I don't—"

"What _is_ he? Is he supposed to be so pale? And his hair! Oh my gosh how pretty! Is that its natural color?"

"Guys, wait a minute—"

"Oh! Is he your boyfriend? 'Cause I'm telling you, I'd like me a piece of _that_—"

"W-will you all just shut the hell up?" she screeched, face burning.

All of them jumped back and went deathly silent. D'Leh sighed heavily, rubbing her temple with her middle and ring fingers before she continued.

"Now." she said, finally calm. "_First _of all—"

"Well!" a smooth voice suddenly cut in. "What have we here?"

*Please God, _please_ don't let it be—*

"Oh no!" one of them whispered frantically. "It's her! We're so _screwed_!"

D'Leh glanced up with some foreboding, and the moment she did her mood instantly soured. Standing over them was Melantho, Yoko, and Yuki, both of whom had a pair of identical glares aimed at the group of flustered sophomores surrounding her. Melantho had her eyes fastened on her own, showing _such_ a look of profound contempt, and…was that anger? At that she irked an eyebrow.

She took a step forward, compelling them to rise quickly to their feet; D'Leh simply stayed where she was with her elbows hanging off her now bent knees and head held high as if challenging her. The girls began to whisper yet again amongst themselves…Why wasn't she moving? Didn't she know who this was? Now, completely ignoring her, Melantho's sapphire eyes roved over the anxious group of underclassmen, seeking a target as if they were her prey. Finally her eyes settled on one of them; she appeared to be the youngest perhaps of their little group, and she was wearing heavily rimmed, very thick, very square glasses. A slight smile graced her lovely lips.

"…Kichiko, right?"

The girl who she supposed was Kichiko seemed startled to be singled out from the others, but she nodded (nervously but surely) nevertheless.

"You and your friends…all of you are interested in Sesshomaru, hm?"

Kichiko's friends gasped and shared glances; the mystery man's name finally revealed! D'Leh couldn't help rolling her eyes. Melantho took great notice of the action.

*What are they getting all worked up for. Sesshomaru isn't even that hot…*

_So, __so __lying_, a voice within her said. She shook it mentally away.

"What's wrong sweetie?" Melantho asked, smirking as she placed her hands on her nicely shaped hips. "Don't like any friendly competition?"

D'Leh eyed her and said nothing, and, closing her sketchbook, prepared as if to leave. She did _not_ need the temptation to connect fist with face a second time. Melantho now watched her with a degree of annoyance, bothered by her lack of a reaction.

*What on earth does something as divine as Sesshykins see in _you_?* she wondered to herself.

Another smirk soon graced her lips as she glanced back to one of her cronies. Her eyes hardened when Yuki, ignorant of her signal, failed to realize she was missing her line. By now D'Leh had already stuffed her things into her backpack, zipping it close as she stood to her feet. A hard nudge from Yoko soon reminded her.

"Ow! What?" Yuki whined, rubbing her aching side as she glanced to her right. "You didn't have to—"

"_Yuki_."

"…Oh!" she cleared her throat. "D'Leh?"

D'Leh sighed and glanced behind her, looking bland as she pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"What?" she snapped, slightly annoyed.

The younger girls (who had been inching away from them), jumped at the brusqueness with which she replied, and her tone also seemed to shake Yuki's smug demeanor.

"…U-uh…well—"

"Have you and Sesshomaru…done anything lately?" Melantho cut in impatiently, mentally dwelling on how she was going to punish Yuki later on.

D'Leh turned fully around and crossed her arms, eyebrows knitted slightly together in confusion.

"How do you mean?"

"You know." she murmured slyly.

"…Know what?" she asked her.

"Don't play dumb with _me_. Tell us! We're all grownups here, aren't we?"

*That, I doubt.* she thought dryly, face now an expressionless mask.

"Well? Spit it out!" Yoko demanded. "Did you or didn't you?"

D'Leh blinked, suddenly realizing to what they were referring, and she bust out laughing. That earned her some very strange looks from her surveyors.

"You guys are pathetic." she told them between laughs. "If you guys wanna waste your time pissing me off with sexual innuendos like that then that's your business. Me? I got this thing called a Life. I'm outta here."

The group of sophomores (who had been thankfully and graciously ignored) was shocked by her statement. Never had they ever thought that _they_(of all people) would witness an insult being thrown into the face of _the_ Melantho Yanagi. They watched in awe as she started to walk toward the sidewalk path that led to building 6, but her feet had hardly touched the pavement before a stinging comment fell loud and clear on her ears.

"Well…at least you'll be doing your _mother _proud, you know; following directly in her footsteps." Melantho said kindly. "Who knows? Maybe you'll end up just like her, Hm?"

She stilled, rigid as a pole; How did she…? Oh…that's right. The Yanagi family were a very elite family, just like her father's…Somehow, rumors had been passed along the grapevine and managed to catch her ears…Her friends began to giggle, and the incessant sound soon became light laughter. Oh, how she _wished_she could grab her by the hair and pull her heart out from her—

"_If __you __continue __with __this __kind __of __behavior__…__I__'__m __going __to __have __to __consider __expulsion__…"_

*…Damn…*

D'Leh warmed in anger and clenched her teeth in frustration; her knuckles paled as she dug her fingernails into the palm of her free hand. She exhaled slowly in an effort to calm herself down…it didn't help.

Thankfully, seconds before she was about to turn and lunge at them, determined to fight them all tooth and nail (which she could), the bell rang signaling the end of lunch and the start of fifth period. Kichiko and her friends (sensing that they were in the middle of a very dangerous situation) wisely raced off.

"I'm impressed D'Leh. You're finally embracing your womanhood." Melantho said loudly, almost _motherly_. "We're oh so very proud of you. Aren't we girls?"

D'Leh had to will herself to not turn around, knowing fully well that if she did she would've raked her face clean off; slowly, she straightened her back and unclenched her shoulders, and with a sharp tug of her arm strap she marched off, away from them and their ridiculing laughter.

Punctual as usual, Sesshomaru had beaten the dismissal bell by approximately 5 minutes; now, it would be seconds before it would finally ring. With a small sigh he leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes. He smirked slightly as he thought back to his little "arrangement" with Nitta Koi. In exchange for his services she had agreed to exhaust every option regarding D'Leh's "behavioral issues" before deeming it adequate to award her another referral. In a way, it seemed somewhat underhanded…but the feeling passed.

The principal's voice came blaring from the intercoms with their after school announcements. He sat up slowly as his eyes roamed the school grounds, seeking out his intended target. Students trickled and finally flowed out of the buildings, some going toward the bus loop while others (fortunate enough to have their own cars) walked to the student parking lot. Many moved toward parent pick-up, and it took him a while to realize that those coming toward him (mainly girls) were staring or gaping as they passed. To this he paid no heed; Belial, on the other hand, rather enjoyed the attention they were receiving.

**So****…****tempting****…**

*Don't be lewd.*

**Ey. ****It****'****s ****not **_**my **_**fault ****I ****want ****to ****make ****your ****offspring. ****Blame ****evolution****…**

Sesshomaru sighed.

*I pray to Kami that Rin never meets men like you Belial.*

**-snort-****Men ****like ****me **_**make **_**men, ****regardless. ****It****'****s ****physics!**

*Wrong science.*

**Whatever****…****you ****know ****what ****I ****mean.**

Glancing tiredly over, Sesshomaru was rewarded with the sight of seeing D'Leh coming toward them. He looked down and reached for the door lock.

_**Finally**_**.**

Turning back around, his brows came slowly together in slight confusion. Her body language appeared very stiff…He frowned.

*Hmmm…*

With a violent yank she tugged open the door and she slammed it shut with similar force (at which Sesshomaru winced) as she dropped inside of the car. All the while she had been muttering to herself, something about the use of a sickle and fast-acting cement…

…**Okaaaaay****…**

"…I see someone's had an eventful day." he muttered, starting the car.

D'Leh shot him a dark look but said nothing. Instead she pushed her bag roughly onto the floor by her feet and stared pointedly forward, arms stubbornly crossed as she moved her leg up and down in agitation. Of this Sesshomaru took great notice.

**What****'****s ****bothering ****her?**

*Leave her be.* he thought, turning onto the street.

…**But, ****I ****wanna ****know!**

*Patience.* he thought wisely. *Time will tell.*

…**Wha****—****?**

As if on cue, D'Leh suddenly kicked the glove compartment with a shout of frustration. Again, Sesshomaru winced.

"And what, pray tell, has my just fully-paid for car done to deserve such abuse?" he asked calmly.

"Leave me alone!" D'Leh screamed. "Just…drive dammit!"

Sesshomaru watched her silently, unfazed by her sudden animosity.

"…Very well."

D'Leh returned to her former position; this time, her leg shook with greater intensity.

…**Yup. ****I ****knew ****it. ****It****'****s ****that ****time ****of ****the ****month ****isn****'****t ****it?**

Before he could say anything in reply, D'Leh (no longer able to remain silent) finally exploded. Just as he expected.

"Ugh! I can't _believe_ her!"

"…Believe what—"

"That little b**** has the nerve to call _me _a f***ing slut?" she exclaimed, almost as if she were talking to herself. "She's so…so…Ugh, what a *************!"

Two pairs of eyebrows rose in alarm as, thankfully for the sake of most readers, she reverted to her native tongue.

…**Where ****did ****she ****learn ****how ****to ****talk ****like **_**that**_**?**

"Uh. D'Leh—?"

"¿Sabes Qué? The next time that _Bruja _tries me again I'm gonna finish what I started a month a—Mmff!"

Before she could finish, he had placed his hand gently but firmly over her mouth to silence her.

"MmShmMmfMu!" she yelled, furious.

"Look. I know you want to make this girl suffer D'Leh, but you must control the urge to do so—"

"Why the hell should I?" she demanded, voice still muffled. "I don't take no crap from nobody, and I sure as hell ain't gonna start now; And you best move your hand before I bite you."

"…You really shouldn't say that around me…" he murmured, eyes suddenly wanton and turning a light pinkish gold.

Then, in a change just as abrupt his pupils regained their original golden color. She blinked, nearly forgetting why she was so adamant about…whatever.

"…Ok?"

Smirking slightly, he finally removed it. It soon disappeared, however, after being given a small reminder about their "friendship only" status from his trusty other half. He cleared his throat.

"My point is," he continued, as if nothing had even happened, "is that you mustn't do anything that may be used to dehumanize your character in court. Yes, they can even get a hold of your referrals, which I imagine is a very innumerable collection…"

She sucked her teeth.

"Just…try."

She sighed and nodded, looking out the window.

By now they had arrived to Rin's school (exuberant in both size and prestige). The style of its architecture reminded her of a gothic catholic church. Glancing around, she marveled at the expense of attending such a prominent private school such as this.

*He must have a pretty high payroll…* she mused.

Finally she caught sight of his daughter (who'd been waving wildly the moment she saw them); she smiled kindly and waved back. After picking her up, they drove west on SW 16th toward the daycare to pick up her niece as Rin prattled on and on about her day. When they had pulled into the parking lot, D'Leh was a little surprised to find Oslyn waiting outside with Ai (who was watching her lunchbox as she swung it happily around) right by her. She had her bags all ready, hanging over both shoulders, and her house keys dangled from her right hand.

*Huh…I guess we were a little late…*

Ai, seeing her, beamed as she pulled her other surrogate grandmother toward them.

"Hi!" she chirped, placing her fingers and chin on the edge of the glass window.

D'Leh smiled and kissed her on the forehead in greeting.

"D'Leh! Child, what kept you Mahn?" Oslyn scolded as she helped the toddler into the car. "Me a wait an' wait an' wait…you think me a rich woman? Anh?"

"I'm sorry!" she apologized, looking sheepish. "I…We got held up!"

She crossed her arms, looking stern and unconvinced.

"Mm. You think me stupit?"

D'Leh started to sweat; Oslyn was one of very few people that could ever make her nervous, especially when she went on one of her famous tirades.

"N-no! I—"

Noticing Sesshomaru, her look became one of surprise.

"Laaawwwd a' mercy—Girl? Me done tell you 'dis a million toimes an' me a tell you again—_keep __away __from __man_!"

Behind her the girls began to giggle, not because of the content (of which D'Leh was abashed) but because of the accent that she was using.

"Ozzy—" D'Leh began to whine.

"No—Listen? Me no cay what you do when you leave de high school 'dem, dat's you business. But, mind? While you undah you moomah's roof keep dat dey to youself. Humph; tell you dat."

With that said, she marched off in a huff, leaving behind a crimson-faced D'Leh, two tittering children, and a bemused Youkai.

…**I****'****m ****not ****sure ****what ****that ****Jamaican ****woman ****just ****said, ****but ****I ****think ****we****'****ve ****been ****banned ****from ****her**** "****goodies****—"**

"Next stop home?" he asked (aloud), cutting him off.

This earned him a mental, vulgar hand gesture that required only the middle finger erect. Too embarrassed, D'Leh nodded. Rin, however, began to give reasons why they should _not_, finally evolving into a request to stay over again for a bit. He firmly denied it, earning two disappointed looks, but that soon disappeared with the promise of a possible sleepover in the near future. Leaving them to their own devices, Sesshomaru glanced to his right at his now brooding passenger.

"I'm going to take a gamble here and say that this Oslyn woman is a close family friend?" he asked.

"Yup."

"And I assume that she's scolded you before in a similar if not same manner?"

She grunted; he took that as a yes.

"Then, I may also assume what she's done will be forgiven?"

Instead of answering she looked down and fiddled with the door lock. Of course she'd forgive her; she hadn't meant any harm, but assumptions about her virtue (and her mother's) had been made all freaking day, and talking about such a sensitive subject made her uncomfortable and overly defensive. A similar thought came to Sesshomaru's mind and he decided to leave it at that. Shortly thereafter, the four of them pulled into her grandmother's driveway.

"Thanks for the lift Sesshomaru…" she murmured, looking sheepish. "And sorry…about the car…"

"You'll reimburse me." he told her, unlocking the doors.

D'Leh shot him a look.

"You sound confident."

He shrugged and smiled as if he were hiding a secret.

"Ooook…" she murmured to herself, grabbing her things.

Meanwhile, Ai had said her goodbyes and got out of the back of the car. Glancing up, D'Leh was startled to find that her niece was already outside, standing right by her door.

"Oh! There you are…"

Sesshomaru watched silently as, after she had opened the door, the two of them interacted with one another. It astounded him what a change D'Leh would undergo when she was with the child…so gentle and motherly, nothing like the violent, intimidating portrayal of herself (a sample of which he had just witnessed)…. Glancing quickly back, he was a little embarrassed to find that his young daughter had been watching him; she gave him a wide toothy grin and he faced immediately forward. By then, D'Leh had gotten out of the car and Ai had been sent off to announce their presence to her grandmother.

"Bye Sesshomaru." she told him, pulling her book bag over one shoulder. "Thanks again, for the lift."

She began to walk away.

"Wait."

"Yeah?" she asked, pausing.

"…I—Never mind…" he muttered, starting the car.

"Ok…Guess I'll see you tomorrow then." She said, giving him a small, kind smile.

He watched her walk toward her waiting grandmother who, with her great-granddaughter in one arm, waved goodbye to him with the other. He raised a hand in farewell and waited until their front door had closed before he backed out of the driveway; his daughter, meanwhile, hummed quietly to herself. He looked sharply up into the rearview mirror and irked an eyebrow when he suddenly recognized the airy tune.

"Rin?"

"Yes Daddy?"

"…Why are you humming _that_ song?

Rin smiled innocently back in reply.

**Atta ****Girl.**

*…Hm.*

Turning back around, he shifted gears and, smirking slightly, pressed hard on the gas.

* * *

D'Leh dropped her and Ai's bags next to the couch and plopped down with a loud and weary sigh. Meanwhile, her grandmother locked the front door and walked toward her with her niece following closely beside her.

"Go and wash up." she told her, gently nudging her down the hall.

Ai complied and obediently ran off. Consuelo glanced over at her lazing granddaughter and, coming up behind her, pulled one of her ears to get her attention.

"Ah! Nana!" she whined.

"You, too, Miss Lady." she added, sternly crossing her arms. "When you're done, come help me in the kitchen."

D'Leh waited until she had left the living room before pushing herself off of the couch with another long sigh. Five steps were barely taken before the phone suddenly rang, and she turned slowly back to answer it.

"Yeah?" she mumbled tiredly, running her fingers through her hair.

"Hey!"

"…Kags?"

Kagome laughed before continuing.

"Yep. You alright? You don't sound so hot…"

"No, no; I'm fine. Just a little tired is all." she told her, sitting back down on the couch.

"Well, I think I may have a little something that'll perk you right up."

D'Leh raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, uhhh, instead of having our usual session on Friday I think we'll just spend some time out of the office."

"Uhmm, are you sure? I mean—"

"Don't you worry about a thing; just come at the usual time and I'll meet you in the lobby okay?"

"…Okay—"

"See you then!"

"Bye…"

After giving it a suspicious look, she hung up the receiver; she was a little perturbed by what her psychiatrist was planning, and knowing Kagome her hunch was probably right.

*I shouldn't worry.* she thought, moving toward the hallway. *She probably just planned a picnic on the lawn or something…*

When she finally reached the bathroom, she opened the door to find Ai (who was standing on her little stool) grasping for the soap dispenser. Reaching over her, D'Leh pumped out some soap and, mixing it with a little water, massaged the gooey mass onto both of their hands. She rinsed off her own hands first, smiling to herself as Ai made fart noises with her sudsy palms.

"Ok, enough of that." she said finally, flicking her with some water. "Venga."

They dried their hands and exited the small bathroom. Ai made her way over to the living room while D'Leh entered the kitchen to find her grandmother drying her hands on the hand towel hanging over her shoulder.

"There you are Niña…put some water to boil for me will you? And measure out some rice when you've finished."

D'Leh pulled up her sleeves and did as she asked while her grandmother moved all around the kitchen, muttering to herself as she pulled out various ingredients and other cookware. Now, after three years of living in this house D'Leh had gotten used to her grandmother's habit of talking aloud to herself. So, as her mind absently wandered she unknowingly missed her grandmother's quiet request.

"…'Leh?...D'Leh!"

"Huh?"

"Páseme un cuchillo por favor."

She opened one of many drawers and handed her a small cleaning knife.

"Gracias."

She closed it after pulling one out for herself, and she grabbed a piece of freshly limed chicken from the silver bowl sitting on top of the counter.

"Now then, Nieta. Who's asked you to go to this, uh, ¿Cómo se dice esto? Spring Formal?" she asked, smiling.

"_No __one_, Mamá…" she muttered, suddenly glum as she threw the piece of chicken back into the silver bowl and grabbed another one. "And I already said I wasn't going, so…"

"Oh Niña, you act as if formal dances are the devil."

D'Leh said nothing and stabbed viciously at the piece of raw chicken meat that she was cleaning. Her grandmother clucked her tongue disapprovingly.

"…Well…what about Sesshomaru?" she suggested, skillfully clipping off unwanted pieces of fat.

"What about him?" she retorted (much too defensively), blushing a very light red.

Consuelo glanced quickly over at her flustered granddaughter and gave a small laugh before answering.

"Oh, nothing, nothing." she sighed, placing the last of the ready-to-bake chicken into the bowl. "I only wished that I could've seen my only granddaughter in a lovely dress."

D'Leh rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I don't need to be wearing no damn dress." she muttered, rinsing off her hands.

"Yes, you do!" she insisted. "Believe it or not, you are a good looking young woman with long pretty hair…you're the spitting image of your mother, and me!"

D'Leh shrugged, smiling as she moved toward the stove.

"Oh! You're so stubborn girl…" her grandmother scolded, slapping her on the arm.

"I love you too Abuelita." She murmured, pouring in the cup of rice she had measured out into the boiling pot.

"Yes, yes; I know…Still, I'm sure you would've been very beautiful…"

The gracious statement made her appreciate her grandmother even more, but no matter what her grandmother said, or how much she pleaded or begged, there was no way in God's green earth that she, D'Leh Deanna Isabel Jiménez, would ever, _ever_ be seen in one. EVER.

*But, it would be nice…to look pretty for once…* she mused, slowly weakening in her resolve.

Then, shaking the foolish thought out of her head, she attended to the pot in front of her.


	12. Chapter Eleven

-12-

*5…4…3…2…1—*

RIIINNNNGGGG!

The dismissal bell finally rang, and D'Leh shot immediately out of her seat; after four long days of having to suffer alone with…certain people at her school, she knew that if she stayed any longer…well…I'd rather not say. Not bothering to stop by her locker (which she rarely used anyway), she hurried through the emptying halls as students carrying colorful banners and other decorations rushed excitedly pass her; underclassman (mainly girls) who were on the school's dance committee. She paused and watched as they scurried off, silently mocking them as they giggled amongst themselves.

*All this for some stupid dance…?* she thought, watching them with a slight scowl. *Hm.*

Turning, she ran out of the school doors and slowed down to a comfortably-paced walk when she was about a block and a half away. When she finally got to the hospital, D'Leh entered and (upon reaching the lobby) plopped tiredly down into a chair. Tucking back some wild hairs, she glanced idly around, and (having nothing else to do) grabbed a magazine from off of the table beside her.

Meanwhile, having just left a very long staff meeting, Sesshomaru was unlocking the door of his office but, catching a whiff of her scent, he paused. Slowly surveying the room, he finally found her, flipping lazily through a pre-natal magazine. He smiled slightly when, after glancing back at the cover, she threw it down as if it had the plague. Shaking his head, he pulled out his keys and, chuckling quietly to himself, he opened the door and entered his office, now in more decent spirits after a very long and tiring day.

D'Leh (recovering from a baby heart attack) decided that, after throwing aside her badly picked magazine, now it was time to do what was common in a hospital lobby: sit, and wait, and sit some more…She kept it up for 10, very long minutes; then, she sighed.

"Ok. This is taking waaay to long.* she thought, a little aggravated. *Where the hell _is _she—*

A hand suddenly grabbed her shoulder, and (swallowing a small shriek) she jumped in surprise, gripping both armrests tightly.

"Oh. So sorry; did I startle you?" a voice quietly murmured behind her.

Slowly, she glanced over her shoulder only to see Sesshomaru's smug face. Playfulness twinkled in his golden eyes, and (had she not been furious) would've thought his irritating smile dazzling. She reddened in anger, and the color deepened as his cocky smile became a loutish smirk.

"Y-you…_you_—"

"Yes?"

"You…asshole! I'll _kill_ you—!"

Someone cleared their throat very loudly. Sesshomaru glanced over to his right and straightened immediately; confused, D'Leh looked past him to find Kagome who, carrying her bag and other belongings stood off a ways watching them with an irked eyebrow. She glanced between the two of them, puzzled but amused, and D'Leh got quickly to her feet.

"K-Kagome—!"

"Am I…interrupting something?" she asked, crossing her arms.

They shared a quick glance.

"N-no, no…we were just…j-just, uhm—"

"I'm sorry, " he interrupted her, "but I have some paperwork, to attend to…D'Leh. Kagome."

After his very rushed excuse, D'Leh and Kagome watched as he walked quickly away. When he had entered his office, Kagome looked back at her, suppressing a smile as D'Leh (still blushing) tried to avoid her inquisitive gaze.

"…Should I let it alone?" she asked gently.

D'Leh nodded, still too embarrassed to speak.

"Come on."

They made their way to the front double doors, and by the time they rounded the corner the incident was nearly forgotten. It took her a minute to realize that they were now in a parking lot, and her confusion deepened as Kagome took out her car keys. She slowed to a standstill.

"Uhm, Kagome? What are you doing?"

Kagome glanced up at her quickly and blinked.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Get in."

"But…why are we leaving?" she asked as she unlocked the doors.

"It's a surprise, silly! Now, get in."

Sighing, D'Leh relented and climbed into the car.

"So…" Kagome began, backing out of the parking lot, "How's life been treating you?"

D'Leh shrugged.

"Okay I guess…"she muttered. "I mean, the trial's coming up pretty soon, but yeah; it's good."

"Uh-huh…any additional friends I should know about?" she asked, glancing over at her.

D'Leh watched her as if to say "What do _you_ think?" The two of them shared a long look; then, they busted out laughing. For the next few minutes, the two were silent, that is until she began to realize just where her trusted therapist was taking them.

"Kagome?"

"Hm?"

"…Why are you turning into the mall?"

"…I'll explain as soon as I've found a space to park…" she murmured distractedly, scanning the parking lot as she slowly passed rows upon rows of cars. "Ah!"

Finally; she had found one.

"…So?" D'Leh prodded, suddenly nervous.

Kagome sighed.

"Well…remember when you told me that you weren't going to that dance?" she said as she masterfully maneuvered the car to back into the parking space.

"Yeah. And I'm not." she told her, as if to dash any hopes that she suspected Kagome had.

"No. you're going." She said cheerfully, cutting off the ignition.

D'Leh blinked. And she blinked again.

"…What?—"

"Pass me my purse will you? It should be down by your feet I think."

"K-Kagome—"

"And be careful when you open the door." She continued, reaching for her purse herself, her request completely forgotten. "I don't want to leave any scratches on these people's cars."

"Kagome!"

"Come on!" she said excitedly, getting out of the car.

"No, wait—"

The door slammed close, cutting off her protest.

"…Did…did she just _do_ that?" she asked herself, incredulous. "Did she seriously just—UGH!"

Meanwhile, Kagome stood in front of the car, pretending to look busy as she was looking for something in her purse. Minutes later she heard a car door slam shut, and she turned around to see D'Leh walking toward her with a surly look. The jig was up; Kagome sighed.

"Look, I know I'm being a little pushy but, don't be angry…this is for your own good! It's about time you went out and had some fun for a change, yeah?"

D'Leh (still annoyed) looked off to the side and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

"Are you mad?" she asked tentatively, pouting.

D'Leh watched her evenly, then (sighing in resignation) she sullenly nodded in agreement. Kagome beamed.

"Let's go."

They began to move toward the front entrance, and as they walked across the parking lot she began to warm up to the idea, though the thought of wearing those high-heeled torture devices she called shoes was going to take some getting used to.

As soon as they entered the building the two women were met with a rush of cool air and chattering voices as people bustled about carrying shopping bags, laughing while others pointed out something that had caught their attention in one of the many department stores. She heard Kagome give a small sigh of relief, and she glanced over to see her pulling at the front of her shirt to cool off.

"Hot, isn't it?" she asked, smiling pleasantly.

Slowly, D'Leh crossed her arms.

"Let's just get this over with." She muttered, looking dolefully around.

Again, Kagome sighed.

"Alright. But, let me make this very clear: you'll try on whatever I say you'll wear, no "buts", no whining, understand?" she said sternly.

"…Yes Kagome."

"And cheer up. This is going to be fun!"

D'Leh snorted.

*I'm glad _one_ of us thinks so…* she thought blandly.

"Let's go this way; I just saw the cutest pair of shoes!" she excitedly squealed, skipping happily off.

Stuffing her hands into the pockets of her hoody, D'Leh dejectedly followed; and so began their quest for her perfect school dance dress.

* * *

Hours later, our heroines found themselves exhausted and empty-handed. Despite her firm orders to be open-minded, D'Leh had dismissed every single dress Kagome presented her. Even though all of them were very nice, something was always off about them: either it was too short, or too long, too frou-frou or totally plain…nothing was able to match her hard-to-please standards, frustrating Kagome to no end.

The two of them were now at the Food Court, sitting at a small table next to a large water fountain. Leaning on her elbow, Kagome sighed loudly and glanced down at her finicky friend. D'Leh was now resting on folded arms with her hood pulled snugly over her head, and it sounded as if she were…

"Hey…Hey!" she said, poking her.

D'Leh snorted loudly and quickly sat up, rubbing a dribble of saliva away from her chin.

"What? What is it?" D'Leh yawned, stretching.

"You awake?"

"Yeah." She sighed, leaning on her elbow as well.

"You sure?" Kagome asked, smiling as she began to close her eyes.

"Mhmm…can we go home now?"

"Ohhh no; you're not backing out that easily" she told her, laughing.

"But—"

"One more store." Kagome pleaded. "Only one more and then I'll buy us lunch; deal?"

D'Leh suddenly became more awake at the prospect of food. What harm would one more store do?

"…Alright. But _just_ one."

"Ok.; let's go." Kagome said, standing to her feet.

Hard as it was for her to move, D'Leh found it within herself to get up from the table. They walked past many stores they had previously entered, and just as she was about to give up Kagome finally spotted one, one she hadn't seen before.

"Ooh! Let's try this one!" she cried, and she dragged her in by the arm.

Now, in D'Leh's opinion, this one wasn't as thrilling to her as it was to her somewhat shopaholic friend (as with all the other stores they had gone to), but there were some really nice clothes that caught her attention.

*Huh…this is kinda cute…* she thought, pulling out a blouse from a nearby rack. *And this would look good with my —*

"D'Leh?"

"Yeah?" she called back.

"Over here!"

Putting the shirt back on its rack, D'Leh walked over and found her admiring a red, wine-colored cocktail dress. Sensing her presence, Kagome glanced back and, smiling widely, showed it proudly to her.

"So? What do you think?"

She glanced quickly from her, to the dress, and back.

"…It's okay." She said, shrugging casually.

What she really wanted to say was that she absolutely _loved _it (shocker, I know), but she didn't want to give her the satisfaction of proving her right after all; not yet anyway. However, Kagome could see right through her calm demeanor.

"Here. Put this on while I find you some shoes." She told her, handing it to her. "I'm pretty sure it's in your size; the fitting rooms are over there."

D'Leh walked in the direction that she had pointed and went into the first empty stall she could find. As soon as she slipped it on, she was amazed to find that it fit her perfectly, like a white satin glove. As she smoothed down the pleated fabric of the skirt, she took a minute to admire it in front of the small rectangular mirror that hung from the wall.

*…Wow.* she thought, wide-eyed as she stared at her reflection. *I look so….girly…Huh; ain't so bad, either.*

There was a sudden knock on the fitting room door.

"D'Leh?"

"Yeah?" she called out.

"Come on, let me see you."

"…I'm coming just...just give me a minute."

"Alright."

She heard her take a seat, and she let out a breath, suddenly nervous.

*Why are you so nervous, girl?* she chided herself, pulling at the neckline in agitation. *It's just a dress, not a tattoo…*

Finding some comfort in those words, D'Leh opened the door and stepped out of the room. When she saw her, Kagome nearly fell from her seat.

"D'Leh!" she gasped out in total shock; she stopped dead in her tracks.

"What?" she said, suddenly defensive.

"All this time? Under all those baggy clothes? Why didn't you _tell_ me!" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

She blinked at her in confusion.

"Tell you what?—"

"_Look_ at you!" she exclaimed, turning her around to face the large 3-planed mirror that stood in the hall. And when she did, she finally understood what she was trying to prove.

"Ok, ok, I get it already; you picked the _perfect_ dress for me…"

"Oh. Well, yeah! AND, just _look_ at how it fits you! You're smoking in this dress."

Scoffing gently, D'Leh looked down at her bare feet a little abashed, and (finding that it had hidden pockets) stuffed her hands inside.

"Yeah, well…thanks for the compliment but—"

"But nothing! This dress was made for you." Kagome told her, leaning her chin onto a bare shoulder. "Oh! And don't forget these!"

D'Leh watched her (warily) as she bent to pick up a pair of black satin pumps with a brightly colored red outsole. She irked an eyebrow at her as she handed them over.

"Hurry! Put them on and let me see!" she whined, almost childishly.

Sighing, D'Leh dropped them onto the ground and slipped them on, placing a hand on Kagome's shoulder to steady herself. She tottered slightly when she removed her hand, but she quickly regained her balance as she walked back to the mirror. High as they were, D'Leh's feet were very comfortable, and they matched the dress perfectly.

"Wow…" Kagome breathed, astonished. "I'm so good it scares me."

"Oh puh-lease." D'Leh muttered, and she elbowed her gently.

"We'll have to get you a cardigan or something, just to cover you up." She told her as D'Leh messed with her bra straps. "…And you may want to wear something other than that necklace—"

"No. I'm not taking it off."

Kagome blinked in surprise.

"…It belonged to my Mom." She whispered, clutching it tightly as she looked down at her shoes.

"Alright." She said gently, wrapping her arm around her. "Go ahead and change."

D'Leh gave her a small smile and went back to the changing room, taking off her shoes before she did. When she came back out they made their way over to the check out line.

"So?" Kagome asked as they stood waiting. "Was I wrong in bringing you here?"

D'Leh sighed before answering.

"…_No_."

Kagome beamed, glowing all over with pleasure.

"See? I told you this would be fun."

"Yeah, yeah." She muttered, placing the clothes onto the counter.

Minutes later, after they were paid for, they exited the store and (as promised) made their way back to the food court.

* * *

Sighing loudly in boredom, D'Leh (now lying on the living room couch, her long wet hair draped over its back) mindlessly twirled Ai's soft baby hairs who (sitting beside her) happily sang along to one of her many educational videos. It had been precisely one week since she had gone shopping for her dress with Kagome, and when her grandmother saw what she had gotten the poor woman nearly fainted.

"I can't believe it…my D'Leh? In _this_?" she breathed, gingerly touching the fabric.

She shook her head and smiled at the memory; her grandmother could be sooo dramatic. Now, the day of the dance had finally come, and (having already glanced at the time) she had about 2 hours to get herself ready. A very _long_ 2 hours…feeling a sudden tug on her shirt, she glanced over.

"Auntie?"

"Hm?"

"When is Kagome coming?" Ai asked, trying to hide her excitement.

D'Leh smiled lovingly down at her and smoothed back some of her satiny hair away from her eyes.

"She should be here soon." She assured her, pulling her close as she wrapped her arm around her small shoulders.

Ai giggled and snuggled closer, the thought of seeing Ms. Kagome again making her giddy. To her, Kagome's visit not only brought her wonderful company but also a chance to play dress up (as she called it) with her lovely Aunt, an opportunity that rarely presented itself. She kicked her legs in time to the next song coming from the television, and as she was humming along another small question came quickly to mind.

"D'Leh?"

"Yes Baby?" she murmured, eyes on the television.

"Is Rin's Daddy coming over, too?" she asked.

D'Leh glanced over at her quickly; she could feel a light blush coming onto her cheeks at the innocent question.

"U-uhm. I, I don't know, sweetie. He didn't tell me he was coming." She told her, trying to appear unruffled.

Disappointment clouded her sapphire-blue eyes.

"Oh…"

"…You like him that much, huh?"

Smiling, Ai nodded her head in childlike vigor.

"Mhm!"

D'Leh gave a light chuckle, and they returned their attention back to the T.V. screen. Meanwhile, as she was gently ironing the neckline of her granddaughter's new dress in the upstairs hallway, Consuelo paused, hearing a car door slam shut outside. Setting the iron aside, she walked toward the stairs.

"D'Leh?" she called down. "D'Leh!"

"Yes?"

"See who's at the door for me, por favor."

"But, nobody—"

A loud series of knocks interrupted her. Sighing, she pushed away from the couch and made her way over to the door. When she opened it she barely had enough time to step back as Kagome rushed in (bags and all), throwing a quick greeting behind her.

"Kagome!" Ai cried out, running to her.

"Hey, you!"

She caught her and gave her a warm squeezing hug, dropping her things to the ground. Then, straightening, she held her up on her right hip.

"What's with all this stuff?" D'Leh asked, coming toward them.

"Well," she began, turning to her. "I just came back from the store; I found you a really nice sweater to wear over your dress!"

D'Leh gave her a quick glance as she picked up a silver box and, upon opening it, found it loaded with all kinds of makeup. Her eyebrows rose in amazement.

"Whoa…"

"Yup. I came prepared." She told her, letting her niece back on the ground.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" D'Leh asked, crossing her arms.

Before she could give her a reply, Ai squeezed in between the two of them.

"We play dress up now?" she asked, watching them excitedly.

D'Leh (her annoyance forgotten) instantly became nervous.

"Uhhh—"

"Yes. Yes we will. Go on and tell your Baba we'll be right up."

"H-hey—!"

"Okay!"

They watched her scurry up the stairs, and when she had gone Kagome glanced back at her.

"So? You ready?" she asked, placing a hand on her hip.

She gave her a crabbed look and brushed passed her.

"Like I have a choice…" she muttered, climbing the stairs. Kagome smiled and, laughing, followed her.

It was decided that her makeup would be done in her grandmother's room because 1) it was larger than her own, 2) it was a lot cleaner than her own, and 3) it had a vanity with a large oval mirror. So, as her grandmother finished her ironing Kagome got to work, brushing on sweet-smelling powder and dark eye shadow.

Her grandmother popped in a couple times to check on their progress, and just as she was applying the final touches to her look she tried to peer around her. She got her chance when, capping the tube of lipstick, Kagome stood back to admire her handiwork.

"Hm…" she murmured thoughtfully, leaning her head to the side.

D'Leh looked from one woman to the other.

"…What?" she asked, peeved by their stares.

Kagome and her grandmother glanced at one another, smiling knowingly.

"What?" she asked again.

Sighing in frustration Kagome whirled her chair around to face the mirror; she gasped when she saw her reflection. She looked so…different…so womanly!

*Damn…* she thought, trying to make sure that the ravishing young woman staring back was really her. *Ho-ly shit—*

"Ai? What do you think?" Kagome asked as she came forward.

D'Leh turned to face them, and when she saw her a lovely wide smile came across her adorable face.

"I think you look prettyful!" she chirped, hopping excitedly onto her lap.

D'Leh laughed and gave her a squeezing hug in thanks.

"Well, my work here is done." Kagome sighed, packing her things. "Sesshomaru said he'll pick you up around 10:00 so—"

"What?" D'Leh screeched, turning on her. Ai cringed and covered her ears. "You mean to tell me that Sesshomaru's going to see me like this?"

"So? You look fine." Kagome said airily. "I'm surprised he didn't tell you; he's going to chaperone the dance along with the school faculty, so the two of you will be together all night."

*All night? Oh God…*

"Now remember," Kagome continued, "this is supposed to be an enjoyable experience, okay? I want you to at least try to have some fun tonight. Understood?"

She slouched back into her chair with a heavy sigh, then she nodded her understanding.

"See ya Hun. And bye you!" she said, waving goodbye to her niece.

Her grandmother showed her to the door, though not before telling her to get dressed. She waited until they had left before she got up; picking up her niece with a loud grunt she made her way across the hall to her bedroom. She let her down onto the bed and went over to the ironed dress hanging on her closet door. Just like before, the dress fitted her perfectly, and just as she was putting on the sweater that Kagome had bought for her, her grandmother entered her room.

"There's someone waiting for you downstairs." She (strangely) hissed, smiling excitedly.

"…Oh." She said, realizing to who she was referring. "Uhm, I'll be right down."

"Alright. Come Ai."

Ai jumped off of the bed and grabbed her outstretched hand. D'Leh followed them out and went into the bathroom, just to get a quick and final look at herself. Then, blowing out a long, calming breath she carefully alighted the stairs.


	13. Chapter Twelve

-13-

Sesshomaru's eyes flicked nervously over and back as D'Leh's curious little niece blatantly stared at him over the arm of the sofa. It had been like this for the past 15 minutes, and shamed as he was to admit it, the little girl was making him fidgety; impatiently shifting his position for the umpteenth time, he uncrossed his legs and refolded his arms.

"What is that girl up to…" he murmured to himself, glancing down at his watch. "It's almost 10 O 'clock—"

"Mr. Sesshikomo?" Ai timidly asked. "I gots a question."

He turned his head to face her fully, irking an eyebrow.

"Why…why is you wearing makeup?"

Slowly, he raised both eyebrows. Were it not for his aristocratic upbringing, Sesshomaru would've thrown his head back and laughed out loud, but a quick (yet genuine) laugh sufficed him.

"These are my tribal markings; they show what Clan I come from." He gently corrected her, smiling.

"Tribal markings?" she repeated, standing up a little straighter. "What are those?"

"Uhh…they're like…birth marks."

Her eyes suddenly brightened in understanding, and she jumped out from behind her hiding place.

"Oh, I have those!" she chirped, and (pulling her shirt all the way up to her chin) she thrusted her large round belly out with pride. "See? I have one right here on my tummy, and another one over here—"

"Ai! Pull your clothes down this instant!" Consuelo (who had neared the kitchen doorway to check up on them) scolded, running frantically forward to yank her shirt down.

"But Nana—"

"To the kitchen with you; your food is on the table." she continued, slapping her gently in the backside.

"Yay! Pasghetti!"

Ai scampered happily off; Consuelo shook her head and, giving Sesshomaru an apologetic look, followed her great-grandchild into the kitchen. Finally alone, he leaned his head back on the couch and closed his eyes.

**And we thought Rin was a lot trouble…**

Sesshomaru grunted in agreement. Seconds passed as he listened to the child and the older woman chatter away in the background…then minutes, and there was still no sign of D'Leh. Just as he was about to glance yet again at the time, his ears perked up when a small creak came from the top of the stairs.

**Took the girl long enough…**

Sesshomaru glanced calmly over his shoulder only to do a double take when (little by little) a pair of high-heeled feet were followed by slim legs, a slender waist, and finally by a pair of smoky, mirror-colored eyes; she paused on the stairs when she met his own, nearly paralyzed.

…**Damn!**

Sesshomaru quietly agreed with his other half's sentiment as he rose to his feet, slowly taking in the Christian Louboutin-esque pumps, the makeup, and the strapless dress that took to her figure quite nicely, particularly in the waist (which was black unlike the rest of the dress, but also pleated).

The neckline was modest, but he could still glimpse a bit of cleavage, which was nice. The knitted sweater, though simple, wasn't such a bad addition to the ensemble, and as a whole the outfit worked quite nicely for her. Her long raven-colored hair had been let down and dried out naturally, giving it an almost feathery appearance. Again, he had that sudden urge to reach out and touch it…

* * *

The sound of her own heart beat flooded her ears when Sesshomaru's eyes locked onto her own, the golden pools reflecting a mixture of surprise and…

*…M-my mind must be playing tricks on me.* she thought, looking down until (taking the last few steps) she reached the ground floor.

She quickly took in the light gray suit and open lavender dress shirt he was wearing as he was coming from around the couch. He stood two small steps away from her, and (after a brief silence) the two of them let out a pair of nervous laughs.

"…You clean up pretty well." He told her, smirking as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

"Scht. Whatever…" she mumbled, looking off to the side.

"Ah! There you are girl."

They glanced over to see her grandmother beaming at the two of them.

"What do you think of the dress, Sesshomaru? Lovely, no?"

"Yes." Sesshomaru agreed. Then he returned his gaze back to her. "Very…"

Her grandmother's smile widened in pleasure, and D'Leh blushed lightly, embarrassed.

"…We should probably get going." He said, seeing her discomfort. "I'll have her back by 2:00."

D'Leh nearly jumped out of her skin when, placing his hand on her back, he led her toward the door.

"Alright. You two be safe!" she called back as she turned and reentered the kitchen.

"Byeeeeee!" Ai added, mouth full of food, making the two of them smile.

They said their farewells and quickly left the house. As they approached the car the two were deathly silent, and the silence persisted even when, after opening her door for her and saying a small "thank you," they were minutes away from their destination. She could do nothing except nod or shake her head whenever a question was asked, and Sesshomaru found it very queer.

To put it bluntly, D'Leh was nervous (VERY nervous), more so than usual. Not only was she wearing a dress, but the handsome man driving her was going to be there, watching her in her most unnatural environment. The _whole_. _night_. She let out a quiet, groan-like sigh.

"Are you alright?" Sesshomaru asked, glancing over at her.

"Huh? Oh, yes I'm fine." She assured him, flashing him a quick smile.

"Oh? Not anxious are you?"

"No…"

"You don't sound so confident." He murmured, hoping he would get a reaction out of her.

"I'm…perfectly fine."

They were now approaching a stop light, and he cast a sidelong glance as he came to a gentle stop. She was staring down at her bare knees, apprehensively twirling the ends of a thin strand of her dark hair. He frowned slightly in displeasure; this daunted little thing sitting beside him was nothing like the girl he had come to know and befriend. Turning her chin to face him, he gently tucked some of it behind her ear, giving it a slight pinch with his claws before he turned back to the steering wheel.

"H-hey!"

"Ah. That's better." he sighed, smirking slightly in amusement.

"Ch." She grunted, crossing her arms as she stared stubbornly out of the window, her blushing completely ruining the affect.

He pressed down on the gas when the light changed overhead, and within 10 or so minutes they finally made it to their destination. She unclipped her seat belt, the feeling of butterflies and other flying insects filling her entire belly. She let out a long sigh, and just as she was about to open her door, Sesshomaru's hand stopped her.

"Don't you know that the guy is supposed to open the girl's door?" he chided. "Wait here."

She rolled her eyes and sat back as he got out of the car. When he finally opened her own she moved as if to get out as well, but instead of getting out of the way he simply held out his hand to her. She glanced from him, to his hand, and back.

"…What?"

Sighing in exasperation, he grabbed her by the hand and practically pulled her out of the car.

"Has no one ever told you anything about _anything_?" he growled, closing the car door.

"Uhhhh…not really, no."

Sesshomaru stared down at her blankly, then (shaking his head) he held out his elbow.

"Put your arm through." He explained, seeing her confusion.

"But…I'm not your date…"

He chuckled once before he gently placed his arm around her waist, smirking to himself when she stiffened while pulling her close.

"If you _were_ my date I would've done this." He quietly murmured against her head. "Now, come. We're late."

Drawing away from her, he placed his arm around her shoulders as they neared the school's entrance. They followed the signs that pointed to the school gym; of course, the loud pounding music and bright, flashing lights were also quite helpful. She peered through the double doors that opened into the gym, and before he could even get a chance to take a look for himself she tugged him frantically back (and quite powerfully).

"Wait!"

He did, patiently. Again, she leaned over and took another peek. Then, finally gaining some amount of courage she grabbed ahold of his arm and they made their way forward.

The gym had been completely transformed into a pulsing, flashing replica of its old self; it kind of reminded her of a very upscale night club, which was very surprising considering it was, well, a gym.

*Those underclassmen are very resourceful…* she mused, her fear nearly forgotten.

From the ceiling hung clusters of streamers and balloons, and music blasted from the speakers above them. The bright lights they had caught glimpses of earlier flashed all over the large room, and a disco ball (hanging from one of the basketball hoops) deflected the bright beams even more sporadically.

Long tables holding punch and other refreshments lined the gym wall, and a small portion of the gym floor had a few small tables that could seat about 5 or so people. A very large portion of the floor had been left open, and it was here that a mass of human bodies rocked and pulsed to the blaring music.

Sesshomaru glanced down sharply when he felt her grip on his arm tighten, and eyes softening he placed his hand comfortingly over it.

"…Hey—"

"D'Leh?"

They looked over to their right and saw Nitta (sporting a pair of suede pumps and a very conservative dark brown dress with short sleeves) hurrying toward them. Her hair had been styled into a lovely bun-like updo, and a very light amount of makeup graced her plump features.

"Oh. My. God…" she quietly gasped, shocked. "D-D'Leh? Is that _really_ you?"

D'Leh rolled her eyes in annoyance, but she smiled nonetheless.

"You look beautiful! My God, come here!" she exclaimed, yanking her into a very tight hug.

"C-can't…breathe…" she wheezed, struggling.

"Oh, sorry about that." She apologized, smiling sheepishly.

She glanced over and noticed Sesshomaru standing beside her, and she smiled meaningfully as she glanced between the two of them (which D'Leh took _great_ notice of).

"Sesshomaru! Glad you could make it." She told him, cordially shaking his hand.

"Thank you—"

"Ok. I has a question." She interrupted, raising her finger. "How did you and Nitta come to this little…arrangement—"

"Oh, I hear someone calling for me! Come on, Sesshomaru I'll introduce you to some of the faculty." Nitta butted in, cutting her inquiry short. "You, go and dance."

"H-hey, wait a minute—"

"Byee!" she called cheerfully back, pulling Sesshomaru along by the arm.

Within minutes they melted into the crowd, and she sighed loudly (though, it wasn't like anyone could even hear her). Looking around, she spotted a nearby refreshment table and made a beeline for the punch bowl.

"This better not be spiked…" she muttered, ladling the ruby-colored liquid into a small cup.

She grabbed a couple cookies with a napkin and munched on them as she searched for a vacant chair. Finding none, she downed the punch and took a seat on the bleachers along with all the other single (or just plain shy), unpicked girls.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru stood along with all the other chaperones near the front doors of the gym, blankly surveying the entire room as he ignored their furtive stares and excited whispers. He stood out like a very sore thumb from the rest, and…well, just look at him! The adults weren't the only ones who noticed; a few of the students watched him as well. One in particular couldn't keep her dark, ultramarine eyes off of him.

*Now's my chance…!* she thought, stealthily approaching her target.

As his eyes roamed aimlessly around, he spotted D'Leh over by the bleachers. She was leaning onto her knees, picking at her fingernails in absolute boredom; he frowned slightly. Strangely, the thought that she was practically revealing herself to other eligible males in such an imbecilic manner was getting under his skin.

**Ohh…Is my little Sesshy getting jealous?**

*_Silence_…Animal.*

**You're never this agitated when **_**I'm**_** around—**

"Sesshomaru!"

It took him a moment to realize that someone was calling out his name, and he turned only to be welcomed by a pair of heavily painted lips, parted as if…

*…! Oh, Shit!*

Instead of coming into contact with a pair of warm lips, a clawed hand was now in its place. Melantho's eyes widened in shock as he pushed her gently away; never in all her young adult—teen years had she ever been refused by any man (both young and old)…ever! It was quite surprising to find that she was being met with such resistance.

Sesshomaru stared down at the strange girl who had nearly tried to kiss him. She seemed familiar, but her name couldn't come to mind. She was beautiful though; long midnight blue hair…dark blue eyes…tanned skin…a very sensuous creature.

**A very…**_**scantily **_**dressed, sensuous creature…**

He gave her a quick look over. Her dress (or…he thought it was a dress…) was made of a spandex-type of material; it was black with a white top, _very _short and tight, and her breasts were practically poking out from the material. It looked more like club-wear, not something appropriate for a high school dance…and her shoes (also black) were just as provocative.

*Who the hell is this…?*

…**It's that girl! Whatshername…**

*That was very helpful.*

**Ehhh—**

"Sesshyyy!" she suddenly whined, gaining a look of befuddlement from the poor Inu Youkai. "Why'd you do that?"

He slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me, but…Do I know you?"

Melantho blinked at him. And, she blinked again.

"…Don't you know who I am?" she entreated, lustfully crossing her arms under her sizable bosom.

He watched her blankly, and he noted with some amount of amusement that her inviting smile was quickly losing its friendliness. He glanced quickly back at the bleachers to see that D'Leh was now being led toward the dance floor by a handsome young boy (probably in her own grade). A pang of jealousy shot through him, but it went away just as quickly as it had appeared.

Noticing a change in his expression, Melantho followed his gaze to see _her_ dancing with one of her old boyfriends. She glanced from the two of them back to Sesshomaru, her face no longer the sweet, beguiling mask that it was moments before.

*Humph…*

"Sesshomaru?...Hello?"

He looked abruptly back at her, and the angelic expression rematerialized.

"I'm…I'm sorry about before; probably came on a little too strong back there, huh?" she gabbed, giving a small flirtatious giggle.

"…Huh…" he murmured distractedly.

"I…don't think I ever gave you my name did I? Ha, Well I guess it's not your fault. I can be pretty addled brained at times." She purred, laughing sheepishly as she sidled up to him, slowly taking ahold of his arm. "So, my name's Melantho in case you were wondering and I—Hello?...Hey, are you even listening to me? Hey—"

Sesshomaru held up his hand, silencing her. Unbeknownst to her, while she had been blabbering Sesshomaru had had his eyes set on D'Leh and her dance partner. His jaw set in anger as he watched him attempt to grope her inappropriately; his inner beast was raging at the thought of another man touching her body, and he felt a very strong urge for blood, something he hadn't felt for nearly six centuries.

"Excuse me." He quietly muttered as he stiffly moved away, a very dark undertone riding beneath the gentle sound.

Melantho could only gape as he slipped his way into the crowd. Then, tightly clenching her hands she stamped her foot with a shout of frustration before stepping furiously off.

* * *

D'Leh dangerously narrowed her eyes as she watched Melantho slyly make her way toward Sesshomaru. Her grip on her seat tightened when she practically threw herself at him, and (to her surprise) she found herself growling menacingly.

*T-the, the hell?* she thought, blinking. *How am I even doing that—*

"Hey."

She looked up to see a very, _very_ hot guy earnestly watching her. He was tall (though, not as tall as Sesshomaru) with cropped dark brown hair and taupe-colored eyes. A smudge of hair was growing under his lower lip, a very premature goatee, and a small silver ring hung from one of his ear lobes.

She blinked and, glancing quickly around to make sure it was her that he was calling to, stared at him in apparent confusion.

"D'Leh, right?" he asked, smiling slightly.

"Yeah? What do you want?" she rudely asked, crossing her arms as she stood to her feet.

She hid her surprise when, instead of running away from her with his tail tucked between his legs, he simply smirked and held his hand out to her.

"Name's Nicolás, but you can call me Nick." He said, winking. "Wanna Dance…?"

She glanced across the room to see that Melantho was now trying her _hardest_ to latch herself onto Sesshomaru, and she scowled slightly before looking back at the guy's hopeful face. She sighed before reluctantly nodding her assent. Smirking widely, he grabbed her by the arm and dragged her toward the crowded dance floor.

"Hey! Watch it with the hands—"

"My bad." He quickly apologized, swinging her around to face him.

She gave him a sour look but said nothing. She suddenly jumped when she felt someone grooving against her backside, and she pushed them roughly away only to have another one take their place.

*So many people—!*

"Having fun?" Nick shouted, irking a cocky eyebrow as he danced fluidly beside her.

"No, actually; I'm not." She grumbled as she shot a death glare to another potential assailant.

"Not a grinder, huh? Shame…" he trailed off, eyeing her suggestively.

Right as she was about to give him a very curt reply, she yelped in surprise when he grabbed her suddenly by the waist and pulled her forcibly toward him. Then, her eyes slowly widened in fear when she felt something rub up against her legs.

"How's that?" he murmured seductively as his hand slowly traveled down her back.

She stiffened when he gave her neck a tactless nibble, and she glanced helplessly around.

"L-let go of me!" she whimpered, struggling against his iron grip.

"What's wrong, Baby?" he teased, pressing himself a little more into her. "Not used to it—?"

He suddenly let out a sharp cry of pain, and she felt another man's arm pull her into a protective embrace. D'Leh looked up abruptly to see that it was Sesshomaru who had come to her rescue; she smiled in relief when those amber-colored orbs of his glanced thoughtfully down at her, then he looked idly over at Nick (who he currently had in a very uncomfortable hand hold…).

"Mind if I take this next one?" he politely asked.

"F**k no! Go find your own—AH!" he hissed as his hold tightened. "Yeah, yeah, sure, go ahead!"

Sesshomaru bowed his head in thanks before he released him. Favoring his nearly broken hand, Nick could do nothing but glare before he ran off, stumbling as he did.

"Hm…"

He glanced down to see D'Leh staring uneasily in the direction her harasser had left. He gave her shoulder a comforting squeeze and was finally rewarded with her attention.

"He's not coming back. I'll make sure of it."

She smiled up at him in thanks before looking timidly away. He kept his arm protectively around her, having no intention of removing it, and he began to notice that many of the students were now separating from one another into pairs of twos for the next dance.

"Well," he began, gaining another look from her. "You _do _owe me one more dance…"

"I don't think I'm ready for another rape session…" she muttered, face warming in embarrassment.

"Looks like a slow one." He mused.

No sooner had the words left his mouth before a mellow, jazzy melody (accompanied by a change in the lighting) began to fill the entire gym.

"Shall we?" he asked.

"U-uh…well, I uhm…" she muttered, twiddling her fingers.

"What is it?"

"…Remember when I told you I couldn't dance?" she told him, sheepishly scratching the back of her head. "I wasn't joking you know; I'm a terrible dancer!"

Sesshomaru shrugged.

"Well, just follow my lead." he said simply, turning his body to face her own.

Placing one hand gently around her waist, he used the other to put first one arm and then the other in their correct positions around his neck. Slowly, they began to sway to the rhythm of the music, and it didn't take them long to grow accustomed to the movement. She laid her head on his chest, hesitantly at first, and then she closed her eyes, sighing quietly in contentment as she listened to his evenly-paced heartbeat while hers, in contrast, was beating like crazy.

Sesshomaru pulled her even closer and lowered his head to take in the scent of her feathery hair. It smelled like a mixture of coconut, vanilla and lime…Heavenly…He buried his nose even deeper, hungrily taking in the perfume of her skin. D'Leh's eyes shot open in alarm when she felt something rumbling deep within his chest, almost as if he were…

*…Is he…_purring_?* she thought in disbelief. Then, she shook her head slowly in amazement. *Ain't that some stuff…a dog demon purring like a full grown leopard—*

He suddenly stopped moving and grabbed her by the arms with both hands, pushing her upper body just far enough to look her straight in the face. Confused by his strange behavior, D'Leh could only blink at him; soon, she became a little worried. He was looking at her in that way again…and his eyes were slowly taking on a pinkish hue.

"Sesshomaru…what is it?" she asked.

He leaned forward, slowly pulling her toward him as if he were going to kiss her. She blushed a bright crimson; was he really going to kiss her after what had just happened? And _here_? Of all places?

"S-Sesshomaru, wait—"

She gasped when she felt his tongue playfully lick at her mouth, and while he was brushing his lips over hers the entire building began to cheer and scream. She jerked her head away to see the heads of the dance committee standing on stage. They were going to announce the winners to the school-wide raffle ticket sweepstakes and behind them awaited the numerous prizes.

She heard a growl rising from the back of Sesshomaru's throat, and before she could ask what was wrong he whirled around and headed for the exit, dragging her along by the arm.

"What the hell?" she angrily exclaimed when she stumbled her way into the hallway. "Sesshomaru what's the matter with you—?"

Without warning he slammed her into the nearby lockers, blocking any means of escape with one arm while gripping her wrist with the other. Giving her no time to react, he rammed his mouth roughly onto her own, grazing her lips passionately.

Her shout of astonishment was muffled by his very brash actions, and she began to strain against his hold as he jammed his tongue forcefully down her throat; her struggling increased when she felt his nails run up and down the length of her legs, gradually making their way higher and higher.

He growled quietly in pleasure, oblivious to her obvious discomfort. But, when he broke away to take a short breather she slapped him hard in the face, bringing him back to his senses.

…**OWW…**

Slowly, he turned back to face her, only to be slapped a second time. He took a step back in shock, giving her enough room to push angrily past him, and (kicking off her shoes) she raced off; he called out to her, but she continued on, rounding a corner as if she hadn't heard him.

"Damn it!" he shouted, and he raced off to catch up with her.

* * *

The slapping of bare feet on tiled floor made Melantho break away from her current…object of interest and she peered out from her hiding spot, eyebrows knitted together in slight confusion when she heard a familiar voice shouting out a desperate plea. Was that really who she thought it was…? A hand reached out from the darkness that covered them, trying to pull her back in, but it was shaken impatiently off.

"What are you doing—"

"Buzz off! I'm busy." She snapped, and she walked briskly off, her curiosity getting the better of her.

"We had a deal, you know!" the male's voice whined, though he tried not to sound like a child.

"Yeah, yeah…" she muttered. *I'll deal with that fool later…Now where—*

She gasped when she heard a shoe drop to the floor. There was a muffled string of words as the infernal object was retrieved, and then the running continued. She made her way toward the front of the building only to glance abruptly to her left when (to her surprise) D'Leh came bounding down the hall.

She came to an immediate stop when she spotted Melantho by the front entrance, breathing heavily. She seemed just as surprised to see her as well, and she irked an eyebrow as she took in her ragged appearance: her hair was slightly mussed, her feet completely bare, and her dress was terribly rumpled.

*What the hell happened to her…?* she wondered, suddenly suspicious.

Her suspicions increased when Sesshomaru suddenly rounded the bend. D'Leh glanced back and rushed toward the doors. But, Melantho shot her hand out and caught her by the arm, a slow sneer forming on her lips as she looked from one to the other.

"Been a little busy lately, Hm?" she leered, gently taking a hold of her chin and planting a sisterly kiss on her temple.

D'Leh stubbornly set her jaw and slapped her hand away from her as she ran forward, exiting the building. It wasn't long until Sesshomaru, too, rushed past. Shrugging lazily, she flipped her hair over her shoulder and (suddenly remembering something) made her way back in the direction she had just came from.

* * *

The double doors of the school flew violently open as Sesshomaru launched suddenly through them, and (spotting her not that far ahead) he hurried down the front steps.

"D'Leh!"

As before, she continued through the parking lot, completely ignoring him.

"D'Leh, just…wait." He quietly asked, grabbing her arm. "There's something I have to explain to you—"

"Let go of me!" she snapped, yanking her arm out of his grip only to have the other retaken.

**So stubborn…**

"Wait, I need to tell you something—"

"You men are all alike!" she screeched, still fighting him. "I'm not some piece of tail you can just fondle at your own convenience!"

"It…it's not like that. Just…I need you to listen to me—"

"I HATE you!" she sobbed.

She had stopped struggling by now, and was staring at him with a very hurtful look on her face. Sesshomaru blinked in surprise when he saw tears forming in the corner of her eyes. Sighing heavily, he reluctantly released her and she backed away from him.

"…I'll take you home." He muttered, walking toward the car.

She wrapped her sweater tightly around her before she silently followed, and her coldness persisted the entire ride back home.

**This is so stupid! She's being unreasonable—**

*This is all _your _fault…*

**Wha? Hey, I'm not the horny bastard who tried to feel up her ass. That was allll you, my friend.**

He chose not to reply. As he pulled into her grandmother's driveway, she reached for the door handle and (not even waiting for the car to come to a complete stop) she yanked on it and pushed the car door open.

"Wait—"

"Bye." She muttered, climbing out of the car.

"…Goodbye—"

She slammed the door, making both him and his other half flinch, and he watched as she stalked angrily off. Then, he sighed as he tiredly ran his fingers through his silver mane.

**She's a fiery one, ain't she?**

Sesshomaru gave a wry laugh.

*She's a little _too _fiery if you ask me…* he thought, gingerly touching his stinging cheek.

**Eh. Give it a day or two; she'll get over it…Besides, I think she secretly liked it—**

*Please, Belial. Don't.* he wearily begged, switching gears.

For once Belial obeyed him, and (after he backed into the street) he drove quietly home.


	14. Chapter Thirteen

-14-

"Well," a matronly voice began, nearing the front door. "I think I've gathered all the required information. Thank you so much for your wonderful cooperation."

"Oh no, thank _you_." D'Leh heard her grandmother pleasantly gush from downstairs.

*She's probably putting on one of her most agreeable smiles right about now…* she mused with a small quiet laugh, throwing a neatly folded T-shirt into a small hamper as she picked up another one from the mountainous pile beside her.

"Auntie, is this right?" Ai asked, holding up a clumsily folded towel.

D'Leh simply smiled and, taking the towel away from her, gave her ear a playful tug as she placed it into the hamper as well. Ai beamed and quickly grabbed another one; she had to hold back another laugh as she waved it wildly around in an effort to straighten it out.

"Here, let me show how to do that…"

Meanwhile, after exchanging a last few pleasantries Consuelo said farewell to the elderly social worker. As soon as she closed the door, she let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"D'Leh!" she called, moving toward the stairs.

"Yes?"

"Come, come."

"Alright, coming! Think you can hold down the fort until I come back?" she quietly whispered to her niece.

Ai nodded happily, then she gave her a quizzical look.

"Auntie?"

"Hm?"

"Who was that old lady?" she innocently asked.

"Uhh…just a new friend of grandma's" she uneasily lied. "I'll be right back, ok?"

"Otaayy!" she chirped.

D'Leh smiled back at her and rushed down the stairs only to find her grandmother talking to someone else on the phone.

"Yes, she just left…I think it went very well…" she said, glancing her way when she came nearer.

"Who's that?" she mouthed.

Her grandmother put her hand over the mouth of the phone.

"Sesshomaru." She whispered before she put it back to her ear. "Yes, hello? Yes, I'm still here…"

D'Leh blushed lightly at the mention of his name, feeling a mixture of both resentment and anger.

"Oh…" she said quietly, gaining another look from her grandmother that she didn't catch.

"Uh huh…well, the social worker said our home met the state guidelines, and that the child seems very happy here. Do you think that will mean anything to the court?" she asked while her granddaughter plopped down on the couch, looking sulky. "Ok…ok, well we'll send the remaining paperwork later today…Ok, good bye Sesshomaru. And thank you, for everything. Mhm."

She placed the phone back on its hook and, watching her in slight confusion, she took a seat beside her. D'Leh pulled her legs up under her, and she gave her a brief furtive glance before she stared down at her finger nails.

"Nieta…"

She glanced quickly back at her and again she glanced away, refusing to look her in the eye; instead, she intently focused her gaze intently on an old dry stain on the carpet.

"Nieta…What is it, Hm?" she gently prodded her, tucking back her baby hairs. "You've been acting so strangely; every time I mention Sesshomaru's name you get so…moody. What aren't you telling me?"

Her eyes flicked everywhere except in her, and she squeezed her ankle tightly. Consuelo watched her silently before she pulled her into a comforting hug, and she patted her tenderly on the head.

"I see…you'll tell me in time." She murmured, smiling.

She hugged her tightly back in relief, glad that she had decided to drop the subject.

"Of course… you were pretty upset when you came home last week" she mused thoughtfully, "…ah, must've been a lover's quarrel—"

"No, it wasn't!" D'Leh cried out, sitting upright abruptly. "It wasn't a lover's quarrel, we were just…w-we were just—"

"But, D'Leh, your hair and your dress was all messy." Consuelo explained, as if she didn't notice it herself. "The only logical explanation was that you—"

"NO WE DIDN'T! END OF STORY!" she screamed, turning 3 different shades of red.

Consuelo blinked as she watched her stomp angrily up the stairs, then she laughed good-naturedly before she got up herself and headed for the kitchen.

* * *

"…Yes, Good bye."

There was a sudden click and it wasn't long before it began to drone loudly in his ear. Sighing, he hung up the phone.

**Hmm. She's still mad at you, huh?**

Sesshomaru gritted his teeth and didn't bother answering him; it had been 5 days since he had gone to the dance with D'Leh, and she still wasn't talking to him. _Still_.

*'Give or take a day', he says…Bah!*

**Ey. Sometimes I can be wrong…sometimes…**

He stared blankly down at the pile of papers that sat on top of his desk, files concerning the upcoming sole custody battle. He had nearly forgotten how much paperwork it took to even get to the actual hearing of a case like this…he groaned tiredly and rubbed his weary eyes. Then he frowned, his thoughts returning back to their first subject. He couldn't get the image of the hurt, nearly condemning expression she had shot at him that night out of his mind…

"_I HATE you!"_

He had to admit it; maybe he had come on a little too strong but it wasn't _entirely _his fault…was it? Belial snorted quietly in reply.

**Women and their damn mood swings…**

"That I'll agree to…" he muttered, skimming over his trial brief.

"Agree to what, Dad?"

He looked up quickly to see his daughter poking her head into his study.

"Rin. You should be in bed." He stated, irking an eyebrow.

"But, I'm not tired yet!" she whined, pouting as she walked toward his desk. "Can't I stay up for a little while longer? Pleeeeeeaaaaaaassssssseeeeee?"

He eyed her levelly, taking her secret weapon head on. But, being the pushover that he was, he eventually conceded.

"Alright." He said finally, gaining a squeal of excitement. "Come over here and highlight these statements for me…"

* * *

Breathing out a long and weary sigh, D'Leh dropped into the first empty chair she could find. It had taken her three very long bus routes, a 15 minute-long trek to get to the actual courthouse (which was _all_ the way downtown), plus one _very_ uncomfortable elevator ride that she would rather not think about…

*I'm going to need a nice hot bath after this…* she thought, reaching for her backpack and setting it on her lap.

The day of the hearing had finally come, and it was going to be one of the most stressful, nerve-racking days of her life. She placed a hand on her chest, her heart tightening at the thought that she could possibly lose her niece today, her precious little girl…

*Oh God, please…* she prayed, then she shook her head. *I need to focus…I can do this…*

Glancing nervously around, D'Leh spotted others (possibly in her own situation) quietly conferring with their representatives; she bit her lip. After her very brief farewell to Sesshomaru, D'Leh hadn't spoken a single word to him; so stubborn was she that she never bothered to find out when and where she would meet him. She sighed, thinking back to the dance…and what happened after.

*I should've let him at least _explain_ himself to me…* she berated herself.

She began to blush when she thought back to their heated kiss in the hallway…he had so much passion and fervor that time…he had kissed her like…like he _wanted _her, and it felt surprisingly good (though, at the time it didn't seem that way).

*Why am I even thinking about this?* she thought, zipping her backpack open. *I need to focus on my niece right now…*

She pulled out a folder and fingered through every piece of paper, making sure everything she had to bring was accounted for. Medical records, financial statements, receipts, movie stubs, pictures; all of them documenting her time spent with Ai. Hopefully, the judge would see that they were Ai's rightful family, a family that would love her and cherish her.

"Ah! Dammit'…" she whispered as some photos dropped to the ground.

She reached down to grab them only to have a pair of expensive Italian leather shoes press firmly down on them. She came to an immediate stop, and she glanced up slowly into a pair of smug silver-colored eyes.

"Oh…So you actually came…" he murmured, eyebrows raised in mock surprise.

She narrowed her own, mirror-colored pair as she sat up to meet his gaze, head held high as if to challenge him. She gripped the arms of her chair when he glanced lazily down at the photographs lodged beneath his shoes, and he bent to pick one of them up.

"How…quaint…" he mused, watching it with thoughtful scrutiny. Then, he threw it carelessly behind him as he walked casually off.

She snatched the photos up with lightning-quick speed, wiping off loose beads of dirt as she glared at the back of his head. She looked back down at them when he turned a corner and her eyes softened at one photo in particular; it was a picture of the three of them (her, her grandmother, and Ai) baking cookies one very cold Saturday morning. It was taken at a very odd angle, and half of her niece's face had been cut out of the shot. They were covered in flour, but the three of them were beaming despite their messy appearance. She began to smile at the memory.

"Excuse me, Miss?"

She glanced up quickly to see a young woman in a dark-colored suit staring down at her.

"It's time."

"O-oh. Thank you." She quietly told her, grabbing her things.

"Please, follow me."

She led her down a winding hall and past many doors before she stopped before a pair of wooden double doors. She pushed one open for her, and she gave her a small quiet "thanks" in reply as she entered, heart pounding madly.

The court room was small in size with ivory walls and a brown-colored carpet. Most of the furnishings in the room were made of a very dark brown wood; the walls, too, were partially wood-paneled with the same dark wooded pattern. Two tall lamps stood at opposite sides of the room, and the national flag and seals of jurisdiction hung toward the back to the right of the judge's raised bench.

She came to a standstill when she saw her father sitting where the prosecutor usually sat, his back facing her as he was quietly conferring with his lawyer. She gritted her teeth before she continued down the aisle of the gallery. When she neared the bar she was able to get a better look at her father's attorney; he was an American, kind of heavy set with brown hair and very green eyes. A bit of skin hung over the collar of his crisp navy-colored suit and he wore a red tie with white stripes.

They looked back at her when she pushed through the little gate and she made her way to the seat farthest from the two of them. She settled back into the plump chair and shot them both a very dark look before looking away. The two men shared a knowing glance when they realized that she was all alone; D'Leh glanced back at them when she heard them quietly murmuring between themselves.

*What's all that about?* she wondered, eyeing the two of them warily.

She turned away in time to see the door behind the judge's seat swing open, and out stepped the burliest, hairiest man she had ever set eyes on. He was of average height and appeared to be in his mid to late thirties, and he lumbered stiffly to his spot near the raised bench.

"All rise." He droned in a very deep baritone.

They stood to their feet as the judge, a middle-aged black woman, took her seat on the raised bench. She had her gray-black hair pulled back into a small tight bun, and diamond studs were pinned to her earlobes.

"Judge Abeni Nnamani presiding; Please be seated."

Again they took their seats; D'Leh gave a worried glance back before facing forward. Sesshomaru still wasn't here…did he get caught up in traffic or something?

*No. He's so punctual…he's never late for anything…* she thought. Then she sighed. *Who am I trying to fool. I know why he isn't here…*

"Thank you, Bailiff." She said with a very thick African accent, putting on a pair of black rimmed glasses. "Now, then: this case uhhhh…Chin and Suarez?"

"Chen vs. Jiménez Judge, case number 09532-7."

"Ah. I see, this is to determine who will have sole custody of a three year old?"

"Three and half." D'Leh blurted out, gaining a sharp look from both the judge and the burly bailiff. "She's…turning four in a…couple…I'm sorry."

"Hm. No, it was my mistake." She reassured her, giving her a small smile. "Now then. You must be D'Leh Jiménez, correct?"

"U-uh yes, that's me."

"And where is your counsel?"

"…U-uhm. He's, uh—"

"If I may interrupt, your Honor?" her father's lawyer meekly interjected.

"Yes Mr. Anderson?"

Anderson stood slowly to his feet, straightening the jacket and tie of his suit before speaking.

"Your Honor, I think that it would go against the foundations of this court to allow Ms. Jiménez to proceed with the hearing without any legal representation…We should probably reconvene at a time that would be more suitable for—"

"Hell no!" D'Leh snapped, annoyed by his condescending tone. "I sure as hell can represent myself, I don't need no damn lawy—Uh…crap…"

She muttered the last part to herself; so far, she had only made herself look like an absolute fool. She shot a look at her father to see that he was smirking slyly to himself; she blew out a short breath before continuing.

"I'm…I can take care of myself. Please, continue." She told them.

"Well," Nnamani said, "do you have anything else to add then counselor?"

"U-uh…no, your Honor. Let us proceed as planned."

"Very well. Now this court has—"

Suddenly, the doors behind them slammed opened as a breathless Sesshomaru breezed into the courtroom, gaining their attention.

"Sorry I'm late." He apologized, bowing. "As embarrassing as it is to say this I… was having a bit of trouble looking for my keys."

D'Leh couldn't believe it. He lost his _car keys_? All that worrying and berating herself over misplaced car keys?

"Oh, you haven't missed much of anything yet. We were just about to start anyway, please take your seat counselor."

"Thank you."

Their eyes met the moment he reached the bar, and she turned away only to glance back at him again as he took his seat beside her.

"Did I make you worry?" he whispered as he calmly took out his papers.

"Uh…no, I…"

"Ah. That's good."

There was a slight pause before, swallowing both her fear and her pride, she decided to make the first move.

"…Sesshomaru?"

"Yes?"

She blinked before continuing; he had answered her pretty quickly.

"Uhm…about the other day…I…I'm sorry." She whispered, suddenly feeling shy. "I should've let you explain yourself to me and I—"

"It's alright. I'm here now, so let's just get through this hearing." He murmured, giving her a small smile in thanks.

She looked away; it was too much. He was so handsome whenever he smiled, and it was no help that she was blushing because of it.

"Y-yeah…"

"So? Will there be any other interruptions? Good. Now then Mr. Anderson, we will start with you."

"Yes your Honor. Now, for the past few months the child in question has been staying with the Jiménezes (sp?). Of course, that's all good and well, but my client believes he is a much more suitable candidate to be the child's guardian. He's older, more experienced in the ways of the world, and he's financially stable. Your honor, we would like the court to consider awarding sole custody of the child to Mr. Chen… "

*…What a load of bull…* Sesshomaru thought, watching in silent disgust as the pudgy American rambled on and on about his client. *Must've been promised quite a large sum of money in reward by the looks of it…*

He glanced over to his left to see a worried look on his young client's face; he shifted his gaze down at her hands which she had tightly clasped in her lap. He looked slowly away, trying to appear aloof as he placed his own warm hand over hers. He began smile to himself when, after a very brief pause, she shyly took hold of his long fingers.

**Ahhhh…finally, forgiven at last.**

*Hey. Don't jinx it; she'll probably be furious with me again soon enough…*

**True, true—**

"—kashi? Mr. Takashi!"

Nnamani's sharp voice quickly brought his attention back to his surroundings, and he stood elegantly to his feet.

"Yes?"

"Are you ready to present your side of the case, counselor?"

"Yes, thank you…Now then, Mr. Anderson, you were saying a moment ago that your client had all of the required…"prerequisites" to see about this child, correct?"

"Well…yes—"

"So, just to summarize then," he continued, slowly approaching the two of them. "Your client Mr. Chen, a man well into his prime who, as the very busy chairman of the Yamada-Kobayashi Financial Services Company, is more fit to raise this young child?"

By now, he was standing right in front of them, leaning toward them with both clawed hands planted on top of the table. Anderson began to sweat under his amber-eyed stare and he shot a nervous, helpless look at his employer who watched him with a barely noticeable irk of his eyebrow.

"…Y-yes."

"I see…" slowly, he brought his eyes over to the pale silver-eyed man lounging at his left. "Mr. Chen, would you think it rude of me if I prodded you any deeper?"

"Do as you like." He calmly replied. "I have nothing to hide…"

At this he irked an eyebrow.

"Oh?" he asked. Then, straightening, he made his way back to his seat and rifled through his stack of papers. "Funny, I'm sure I had them—ah, here they are."

"Counselor?"

"Forgive me, your Honor. If the bailiff would be so kind as to pass these to you?" he held them out as the bailiff, gaining a nod of approval from the judge, stepped forward. "I think you'll find these files rather interesting…"

"Sesshomaru!" D'Leh quietly hissed, gaining his attention. "What are those?"

"Oh, just a little something I dug up about your father. And…I know it wasn't any of my business, but I looked into his past marriages as well, your mother's in particular." He whispered back as the judge quietly looked over the files she now had in her hands. "I've come to understand why you didn't want me to get involved with this; apparently, your father was still married to his previous wife when he was seeing your…"

He stopped when she looked away from him, shameful that he now knew that she was…well…a bastard child. Of course, she couldn't blame her mother for the mistake she had made; she never even knew he had a wife to begin with…

"Hey…hey, look at me."

Slowly, she did as he asked (though she couldn't meet his eyes).

"Don't think me shallow simply because I am of noble blood; frankly, I couldn't care less about your parents. It doesn't change who you are to me…"

Still unable to look him in the eye she nodded her understanding, feeling surprisingly happy. Meanwhile, while the two of them were whispering to one another Fuhua watched them (primarily Sesshomaru) through narrowed suspicious eyes. What exactly was this man planning? He blinked when he saw his daughter look away from him, almost as if…

*She…can't seriously be in love with this man…?* he thought, slightly amused. *No…she might not love him yet, but something's there…something that could be of use to me in the future—*

"Mr. Chen." Nnamani barked, watching him with a stern eye. "Would you mind explaining this to the court?"

She handed the papers back to the bailiff who then placed them right in front of him. D'Leh and Sesshomaru watched as both her father and his lawyer whispered fervently to one another.

"Mr. Chen?" Nnamani repeated, losing her patience.

They glanced quickly up at her, as if at a loss, then Anderson stood abruptly to his feet.

"Uh, your honor, these documents are completely useless for this hearing; they have absolutely no bearing on whether or not my client is capable of taking care of the child—"

"I would have to disagree, counselor." Sesshomaru smoothly interrupted him. "Your client is a bigamist; it's no secret that Mr. Chen has had multiple extramarital affairs, as well as numerous accounts of domestic violence due to heavy intoxication. Furthermore, Mr. Chen has had no apparent interest in the child since her mother's unfortunate death. Now, I don't know about _you _Mr. Anderson, but does that sound like a suitable guardian?"

D'Leh had to hide a smile as the fat man blubbered out an excuse. Then she glanced furtively to her right to see Sesshomaru smirking to himself.

*Wow…* she thought, blinking. *The merciless-bloodthirsty-lawyer Sesshomaru is _really _scary…and, kinda sexy…*

She realized a little too late that she had been openly staring and she looked quickly away, her face warming when he had caught her eyes.

"He does have a point, counselor." Nnamani told him, cutting him off.

"Your honor, my client isn't the only one with "behavioral problems"!" Anderson, cried. "We also have proof that Ms. Jiménez is a violent, unstable juvenile! Furthermore—"

"And that's her fault?" Sesshomaru cut in, slightly annoyed. "If your client had treated his wife and daughter in a more respectable manner she wouldn't have had any need to show out in school—"

"Sesshomaru, its ok." D'Leh whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Reluctantly, he conceded to her wishes and settled back down into his seat.

"Uhm, judge—I mean, your honor? Is it alright if I say something?"

Nnamani nodded her permission. D'Leh squirmed slightly in her seat as everyone turned their eyes on her, and she cleared her throat nervously before continuing.

"I, uh…I'm not gonna try and deny that I've been fighting a bit at school. Cause I have; I've got the scars to prove it. And, yes it's true that I've been seeing a therapist. That doesn't mean I'm not smart or sane enough to take care of A—my niece. And, I could never intentionally hurt her like I would those bastards at my school…But…" she sighed before continuing. "Even though I may be a bit on the violent side I…I—"

"That's quite enough." Nnamani said, stopping her. "I think I've heard everything."

*…What?*

"Obviously, neither of you seem fully able enough to provide this child with a stable home."

*But…I didn't even finish…*

"Your Honor—!"

"Please Mr. Takashi let me speak. Now, it's obvious that this young girl loves this little child, and if I could I would award you full custody right on the spot. But, as Mr. Anderson has so clearly pointed out you are still very young yourself, Jiménez; you have no stable means of income to provide for the child. Therefore, I will award joint custody between the two of you."

D'Leh's chest suddenly felt dull and cold, as if her heart had stopped beating. *What?*

"Another court date will be set to determine details concerning visitation and who will oversee the legal rights of the child. Meanwhile, the child shall stay with children's services until all matters have been resolved."

She couldn't breathe, couldn't think; they were going to take her baby away from her…She'd never be able to see her again…ever, not if her father got his grimy hands onto her…

*No…* she thought, slowly shaking her head. *No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!*

"This hearing is hereby adjourned—"

"Wait!" Sesshomaru yelled, standing quickly to his feet. "Wait, there's…there's still one more thing that this court must be made aware of."

Everyone had their eyes on him as he turned to stare down at D'Leh. Still numb with shock, D'Leh watched in obvious confusion as he placed first one loving kiss into the palm of her hand and another on her right temple.

*Wha…what is he—?*

"Counselor? What is the meaning of this—"

"Your Honor." He said, turning back to face her. "D'Leh and I…well, I know this may seem hard to believe but…she is going to become my new wife."

It took her a couple minutes to realize that everything had gone deathly quiet, and it finally dawned on her what Sesshomaru had just said.

*Wait…what?*

…_My new wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…wife…_

*...WHAAATTT?*

"…Your wife—?"

"Yes." He quickly answered.

He nervously cleared his throat when he felt a very dark aura growing steadily beside him. He wisely chose not to glance in D'Leh's direction and instead he gently squeezed her hand (both to comfort himself and to calm her down).

"This was supposed to be a secret but, we've been seeing so much of one another and…well, it's a bit cliché but we fell in love…" he said quietly.

By now, D'Leh's fury was completely forgotten; she was too shocked to be angry anymore. What the hell was he trying to pull?

"…Y-you can't honestly think that we'll believe such a farce?" Anderson sneered, laughing weakly.

"Yes, that's very true…" Nnamani agreed, watching him.

He glanced from one to the other. "…You want proof? Fine."

Grabbing the front of her shirt, he yanked her to her feet and pulled her into another heated kiss (though, he had enough sense to go a little easy on her this time). Then, just as suddenly he broke the kiss and she fell in a daze back into her chair.

"Happy now?" he asked, irking an eyebrow.

There was a slight pause; then Nnamani primly cleared her throat before answering.

"Yes, thank you…well, I'm assuming you've acquainted yourself with the child then?"

He nodded. "Yes, I have a daughter of my own and…well…" he trailed off.

"Then I see no reason why the both of you cannot raise the child together." She said. "I leave the child in your capable hands—yes Mr. Anderson, what is it?"

"Y-your honor, we—"

"That's enough, Kenneth." Fuhua smoothly interrupted him. "We accept your decision, your honor."

"Very well then. I hereby appoint D'Leh and her future husband legal guardians over the child; this hearing is now adjourned. Bailiff?" she asked, rising from her seat.

She thanked him quietly as he held the door open for her, then she paused.

"Mr. Takash—Good lord, is she alright?"

Holding his briefcase in the crook of one arm, he was practically carrying his limp "bride" in the other.

"Huh? Oh…yes, she's just been so…stressed lately." He assured her, trying to keep her upright.

"…Well, I trust you'll handle the follow-up for this hearing then?"

"Yes, I will."

With one last fretful glance in their direction she walked through the door.

*Was I ever so foolish at that age?* she wondered, shaking her head with a small smile. *…Hm.*

Meanwhile, D'Leh's father watched silently as the two of them made their way down the aisle of the gallery. Then, he glanced over at his American colleague who muttered darkly to himself as he violently put away his belongings.

"Calm down." He sighed, rising gracefully to his feet. "We failed; accept it."

"B-but, Chen! You know as well as I do that that child is the key that will open many doors for the company! Without her—"

"We won't have access to the secret trust fund her father has set aside for her, I know already." He smartly clipped, losing his patience.

"We'll find some other way…" he trailed off, making his way toward the double doors of the court room. "I'll get what I want, even if I have to destroy my daughter's precious little…'engagement.'"

With that said the two men left, closing the doors softly behind them.

* * *

Having already made their way out of the courtroom D'Leh and Sesshomaru stood at opposite ends of the elevator, quietly flicking uneasy gazes at one another; the silence was stifling, as if the air was now lifeless and stagnant. By now, D'Leh had regained full control over her movements but thinking back to Sesshomaru's sudden…announcement made her feel dizzy.

"Well…" Sesshomaru began, gaining her attention. "I'll draw up the paperwork for the marriage license…I'll need to add your name to the family register, too, but that shouldn't be too much of a hass—"

"ARE YOU F***ING NUTS?" she screeched, flushing a deep ruby red in what he assumed was hot fury. "MARRIAGE? MARRIAGE?"

Sesshomaru began to sweat when she suddenly switched to a rapid steady flow of Spanish, pacing wildly around the small elevator; her raving continued as she stomped angrily out of the elevator the moment the door had swished open. Many people stared as they hurriedly made their way toward the exit, and (strangely) by the time they made it to the parking lot D'Leh had finally gone quiet…

…**That's not good, is it?**

*Nope.* he thought, unlocking the car.

He climbed in to find her staring out the window down at the painted asphalt, again in one of her very rare periods of absolute calm. He quietly slammed the door close and sighed as he placed the key into the ignition. Though, right as he was about to turn it D'Leh's hand suddenly shot out, stopping him.

"Sesshomaru…" she quietly began, "what the hell did you do?"

"…Is this a trick question or are you being serious?"

She sucked her teeth at him in annoyance.

"Stop kidding; this isn't funny!"

**{~~~~~~~Finds this absolutely hilarious.**

*Shut up, Belial…*

"You…you can't seriously be considering this marriage, can you?"

"…There was no other way D'Leh." He told her, sighing. "It was only a last resort, but—"

"Sesshomaru…you don't love me." She whispered.

He blinked.

"Don't be stupid. I care about you and your family very much—"

"That's not the same thing!" she cried. "You don't propose marriage to someone you just care about, ¿Te loca?—"

"Look, this won't be permanent if that's what you're worried about." He assured her. "I'm only marrying you for one reason; to keep you and Ai together. She belongs with you, and once you're able to take care of her all on your own we can file for divorce."

"B-but, Sesshomaru I can't—"

"Yes, you can. And it's not like we can never speak to one another."

"…I guess that's true…" she muttered, looking down at her lap. "But, how can we pull this thing off?"

He shrugged carelessly whilst turning on the ignition.

"I was convincing enough in the courtroom, so it shouldn't it be that hard." He said, backing his car out of the parking spot.

She blushed warmly, suddenly remembering.

"W-where are we going now?" she asked, putting on her seatbelt.

"Well, we'll have to get your grandmother's blessing before we plan the wedding, yes?"

Her blush deepened. She had absolutely no idea how her grandmother would react—Well, actually she did but it wasn't something she wanted to see.

"U-uhhh, well yeah but—"

"What's wrong, Honey?" he asked, smirking in amusement. "Are you worried about something?"

"S-shut up, asshole!" she yelled.

**Awww. Our blushing bwide is all embawassed.**

*Indeed.*

It wasn't long before they pulled up in her grandmother's driveway, and she opened the door only to be wrapped into the tightest hug her grandmother had ever given her.

"You're back, you're back!" she squealed, rocking side to side.

"Yes, I'm home." She reassured her with a small laugh.

"You're laughing, why are you laughing?" she demanded, pulling away from her. "Did something good happen? Tell me, tell me!"

"Calm down! Just let me come inside first."

"Oh! I'm sorry, Sesshomaru I didn't realize you were here!" she said sheepishly. "Please come in."

"Yes, thank you."

"So?" she prodded as he closed the door behind him.

"They named me guardian; she's staying here, with us." She told her, smiling. Then, she glanced quickly back at Sesshomaru. "But, uhm—"

"But?" Consuelo glanced between the two of them, looking a little worried. "What is it, D'Leh? Tell me."

"W-well, there's…there's something you need to know…" she murmured. "About, Sesshomaru and me…"

**Hehe…This is gonna be fuuuuuuunnnn…**

* * *

**alright, so I can't use the "?" + "!" in my story for some reason (which I really really hate), or the "" symbol (I had to use "{" .)...I'm just too big of a perfectionist when it comes to these things so just ignore this little section. :) anyway, number of hits have gone way way up (which makes me very very happy), so please continue with the reads and the great reviews.**


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